Toujours
by syrene
Summary: Jaimie was an average teenager. Well as average as you could be in the Wizard world. But not even she could predict what fate had in store for her. SBOC pls. RR
1. I'm Just a Girl

  
Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own anything, because if I did, then I wouldn't be writing a fanfic about it. In fact, if I did own Harry Potter I would probably be writing #6 of the series. Anywho, anything you've never heard of is mine. :) Oh and just a heads up- this isn't your average Sirius fic. If you expect something thats heavy on the snog sessions between our leading lady and our favorite dog, this isn't it, though they get plenty enough chances.   


**I'm Just a Girl**

_Take this pink ribbon off my eyes_   
_I'm exposed and its no big surprise_   
_Don't you think I know exactly where I stand_   
_This world is forcing me to hold your hand_

_'Cuz I'm just a girl_   
_Oh little old me,_   
_but don't let me out of your sight_   
_'Cuz I'm just a girl_   
_I look pretty in blue jeans_   
_So don't let me have any rights_   
_Oh, I've had it up to here._   


It wasn't the first time that Jaimie Dijon had not been late. She ran about the house, looking for her missing garments, her sister, Dominique, sneaking snide remarks at how unorganized she was. But she had lived too long with her to let this bother her. So she continued on her noble quest, still dressed in her pajamas at noon. Her sister now completely annoyed at how much time Jaimie had wasted.   
Dominique exclaimed, after the fifth time she checked her watch, "You take too damn long! See, it's already noon, we're supposed to be there already. You can be such a pain in the a-"   
"I'm sorry if I'm taking so long Dominique, It's not my fault I'm not as organized and punctual and _perfect_ like you." She interrupted, scathingly.   
"I know. If we all could be like me." Dominique answered regally, Jaimie pretending to puke as she turned away.   
"Ah, found everything!" Jaimie exclaimed as she pulled from the depths of her room a a blue, figure flattering blouse, and a pair of jeans. "I'll be there in a minute Dominique ok, stop whining!" Jaimie said, as she put on the shirt and jeans and a pair of black robes over her outfit.   
"Don't tell me what to do! You have no right to!" Dominique cried indignantly.   
"Don't tell me what to do either, if I have no authority over you then why the hell would you have any on me?" Jaimie demanded.   
"Because I'm older than you-" Dominique started.   
"By one year!" Jaimie retorted.   
"_And_," She put emphasis on the word, "because I am in Slytherin."   
"So? Where's my bloody wand?!" Jaimie cried out, now positively fuming.   
"In the bathroom, oh ye of little brain."   
"Shut up!"   
Going into the bathroom, she picked up her wand which lay on the marble sink, and dashed out again, where her sister stood against the wall, waiting for her to emerge.   
"You know, I'm surprised at you. Who would've thought that you, of all people, could be dating a Slytherin, let alone a Malfoy. Completely amazed."   
Jaimie chose to ignore this little comment and walked away from her.   
Dominique kept making snide remarks, from behind Jaimie, and noticing she was not paying attention, she ran to stay astride with her, sneering in her ear. Having had just about enough, Jaimie elbowed Dominiqe hard in the side, making Dominique fall onto the banister and began running toward the the living room, but then, she felt her legs snap together, and stopped right where she was. _Damn it, leg locker curse._ She turned her head, and saw Dominique with a triumphant grin, her wand pointing straight at Jaimie's back.   
"That wasn't a fair thing to do. But whatever, I'm gonna get to Diagon Alley before you!" She sprinted down the length of the staircase, but before entering the living room, she muttered the countercurse, and Jaimie's legs sprung back to life.   
Jaimie, anger already at boiling point, started yelling and cursing at her sister, who was already at the fireplace, looking haughty and indignant, her cold eyes glinting with malicious glee.   
"Dominique one, Jaimie, zero. First point of the day. I love being seventeen." Dominique kissed her wand lovingly, taunting her to do something.   
Jaimie, her temper already at its fullest, brought out her wand to try and jinx her. Not expecting this, and completely bewildered, Dominique said, almost pleadingly, "You wouldn't hex me would you? Your still underage, you can't do that. You'll get expelled."   
"It'd be all worth it." Jaimie said, a look of complete insanity on her face.   
Finally, her mother came in, looking completely nonplused at the racket the girls were making. At the sight of her, the two girls turned their heads. But Dominique being totally revolting, grasped the chance and took some of the glittering powder, threw it into the fireplace, and the fire within promptly turned a shade of green, rising high beyond their heads.   
Dominique stepped inside as Jaimie muttered an indignant yell. Jaimie was too slow. Dominique had already yelled, "Diagon Alley," and had disappeared from sight.   
Jaimie stomped her foot of the wooden floor and cried, "I hate her!" before grabbing a handful for herself and throwing its contents into the fire as well. She stepped inside, and cried "Diagon Alley," Rather louder than she intended, and she spun out of the fire, and landed on the cobbled alley known to witches and wizards alike as Diagon Alley. Dominique was waiting for her, looking even more haughty now that she was in the presence of other wizards.   
"Don't even try to hex me out here, if you do, people would try to stop you, and you'll most certainly get into trouble. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go over to my Slytherin friends, and don't try to recognize me. If anybody else found out we were related, I would just die of embarrassment. After all, you being in Gryffindor and everything." She turn her back on her sister, flipped her hair obnoxiously and started forward, leaving Jaimie looking angrier than ever. _Just once, I'd like to be better than her for something._ She thought angrily, and then this thought was replaced by another, a bitter and defeated one. _But then again, she'll always be better than me. She'll always be prettier than me. I hate her._ She thought resentfully, but it wasn't as though this were entirely true. Dominique wasn't exactly better, in fact if truth be told, they were more even. Its just that Dominique always masqueraded around her achievements, giving Jaimie the feeling of being second best. However Dominique and Jaimie did not look at all alike. Unless they notified others that they were sisters, they didn't look at all like it. Dominiqe had heavily adopted her appearance from her father. She had shiny, auburn hair, she was average height, and had gray eyes, that often than not, had a cold glint in them. However, Jaimie had gotten her looks from her mother, which wasn't bad at all. Jaimie was tall, and had a gymnasts build: where Dominique's hips were in proportion to her shoulders, Jaimie's hips were smaller, but her shoulders slightly broader. Jaimie also had auburn hair, but it was slightly curly, and she had blonde streaks in them, because her mother had blonde hair. Her eyes were a forest green, bright and twinkling whenever she laughed. Dominique's appearance boasted cruel royalty, whereas Jaimie was very warm, and caring, and full of laughter.   
But Jaimie never thought of this, she was always thinking of herself less than Dominique, and never considered herself as an equal. However, despite her rather ice cold relation to her older sister, she promised that it would not bother her. The day was bright, her pockets jingling with wizard money. And so, making her way away from the fireplace, she walked down the cobbled street, to a shop called Flourish and Blott's. She pulled out a piece of yellow parchment, and looked over the list of books that was needed. So walking in, she gathered all the necessary things. When she paid for them she left, but with a force that knocked her off her feet, lost her balance, her books dropping from their precarious perch in her arms. However, instead of hitting the ground, her fall was broken by a boy, who was accompanied by two others. She lay in the arms of her savior, lost in the scent of his cologne, and they stayed there for quite some time. Jaimie, still rather shocked at her sudden tumble, looked into the boy's eyes. And she was taken aback when she recognized them.   
"What the-" Jaimie cried, a mixture of mortification and surprise in her voice. Sirius Black gave her a mischievous little grin that went straight down to her knees, and thought gratefully to herself that he was holding her.   
"Sirius, you sly dog, already running down girls! Shame on you." Jaimie heard the voice of James Potter, from the crook of Sirius Black's arms, mocking his friend. The boy next to him, Remus Lupin, eyed the situation with increasing amusement.   
"I'm sorry about that, didn't mean to make you fall." He said, his dark eyes glinting with mirth.   
"Yeah just like he didn't mean to catch you." Remus said, trying to suppress a laugh.   
Then a red head girl, who also had green eyes came upon the situation, "Hey James, whatcha doing?" She called out to her friend.   
Both James and Jaimie turned to the girl, James' eyes starting to light up with even more glee, his hand shooting up to brush his hair back.   
"Well, Lily, just watching Sirius run down your pretty friend." He said, his voice suddenly cool.   
"Not you, dushbag, Jaimie." She pointed to Jaimie in Sirius' arms, and her eyebrows suddenly rose.   
"Get off me!" Jaimie made to pull herself from Sirius but he grabbed her wrist.   
"What, no thank you?" He asked, shrugging.   
"No!" She answered, rather harsher than usual, she wrenched her hand away from his, and bent to get her books. But then they all flew upward, into Sirius' hands.   
"Here," He offered her the stack of books.   
"Thanks . . . " She muttered.   
The air was suddenly awkward, Lily had pulled up to her side, something that was always strange, for the resemblance between Jaimie and Lily were uncanny. Both had red hair, though Lily's was much redder, and both had green eyes, they were also very much the same height, which didn't sway other people from thinking that they really were twins. Lily, sensing that Jaimie was getting more uncomfortable by the minute, broke and silence and said, "Well, we better get going, a couple of our friends are going to meet us. Sirius," He acknowledged her with a nod, "Remus," he too nodded, "See you." she took her friend around the shoulders and pushed her away, amid the indignant cries of James Potter.   
"Hey what about me?" He called to the two girls' retreating backs.   
Sirius placed a hand on his friends back and said, "Well, that went well."   
"Don't think she likes you much, mate." Remus added.   
"Right, _right_," James responded. 

As Lily and Jaimie made their way to a tea parlor, where Lily said they were to meet their friends, she turned to Jaimie and stared slyly at her. Busy at the thought of Sirius, how he smelled so good, his eyes gently staring at her own, and the way he held her, Jaimie didn't notice until Lily said her name.   
"Jaimie?" She asked.   
"Hmm?" Jaimie uttered.   
"What happened back there, why was Sirius carrying you?"   
"Because I fell."   
"You fell?"   
"Yeah."   
This seemed to satisfy Lily for a little, because she then asked, "Do you like him?"   
"Hmm?" Jaimie muttered again, a little distracted.   
"Do you like him?" Lily repeated a little firmer.   
Regaining her sense, Jaimie turned to Lily and asked, "What?"   
"I said, do you like him?" Lily asked once more.   
"Of course not! I have a boyfriend!" Jaimie lied at once.   
"Yeah, a jerk of a boyfriend. You like Sirius don't you! I know you do, don't lie to me." Lily demanded.   
Jaimie looked back at Lily, shame written all over her face. "Was it that obvious?"   
Lily giggled, "You were in his arms for, like, ever. But don't worry, he likes you too."   
"You think?" Jaimie asked, hopefully.   
"Definitely. He caught you, and when he did, he didn't even ask you to get off him, and he grabbed your arm when you pulled away. _And_ he couldn't keep his eyes off you."   
"Oh, I wouldn't say no if he asked me out . . . " Jaimie added, dreamily.   
"Yeah, I bet he would, if you just dumped Damion." Lily muttered, bitterly.   
They walked on, the tea shop coming into view. A small restaurant, with a patio with quaint tables lit brilliantly with bright sunlight during the day, and romantic hovering candles by night. They made their way toward it when Jaimie grabbed Lily's hand. Lily, almost let out a shriek of surprise, but shut her mouth as Jaimie pointed to a boy ten feet away from them, accompanied by many other girls they recognized as her friends. Jaimie pulled Lily behind the corner of the building, clutching her chest as she leaned her back on the wall.   
"What was that for? We're supposed to meet Jenny and the others here!" Lily whispered.   
"Damion's right over there, look!"   
Lily stuck her head around the corner, Jaimie kneeling under her, to see that Damion really was there. He was not hard to miss, most girls at Hogwarts need hardly debate that Damion was the 'sexiest boy alive' and made it a point to stop him in the corridors of Hogwarts everyday. However, Damion thought himself above them all, and never paid them too much attention. Part of the reason that Damion was so disdainful was that he was a Malfoy. And it was in Lily's opinion that all Malfoy's had a superiority complex. Apart from this, he was indeed very attractive. His blonde hair was always the fashionable statement, though more often than not he would brag to Jaimie (who was always with Lily) that he hardly cared for such things. But this year, his silver blonde hair was very sleek. His fringe hung over his eyes so naturally elegant, that he need never adjust them. His blue-gray eyes glinted with none of Jaimie's nor Lily's warmth, but with cold contempt and haughtiness. He was well built, and tall, (he played as chaser for the Slytherin quidditch team) and he was so mysterious, which also helped him be so irresistible to all the girls.   
However, even though he deemed all the girls at Hogwarts below him, he deemed Jaimie worthy, which wasn't exactly a mystery. Jaimie was popular, and pretty, however much she tried to refuse to admit it. She was well like by most girls, and all boys. So consequently, Damion had to have her, not only because she was beautiful and popular, but because other people thought so.   
The girls looked apprehensively at the door, checking to see whether Damion would go inside, or better yet, leave. But he never left, he stayed outside, hands folded arrogantly across his chest, not even paying attention to those who passed. Then, with a sudden change of heart, Damion opened the door to the tea shop, and went inside, and Jaimie gave a sigh of relief. They both walked out into the opening and made to go the other way (away from Damion and the tea shop) when a voice that made Jaimie's heart both jump and melt rang through the air, calling her name.   
"Jaimie! Hey Jaimie!"   
She turned slowly on the spot and waved cheerily at the caller. Sirius Black, now accompanied by three other boys, were standing casually at the door of the tea shop, James holding the handle of the door, but not pulling it open.   
_Please don't let Damion hear my name._ She thought helplessly.   
But, like all things that are dreaded, they are inevitable, and Damion bolted out of the door, pushing James out of the way.   
"Hey, what the hell?" James cried, indignantly.   
Sirius turned his head as Damion strode quickly to Jaimie, who stood rooted to the spot, feeling disappointed at her foiled escape.   
"Jaimie! Where have you been?" He quickly gained space between himself and the Marauders, Sirius looking slightly abashed. Damion walked up to Jaimie, and pulled her into her arms, his lips searching hers and locking together. Jaimie felt his tongue slide slyly into her mouth, and completely startled, pushed herself away.   
"Damion, people are watching . . . " She said, folding her arms over her chest and rubbing it, self-conciously.   
"So?" Damion said, pulling himself closer to her for another snog.   
"Damion!" Jaimie pushed him away. She turned her head in the direction of Sirius, but he and his friends had gone, quite possibly within the tea shop.   
Damion gave her a smirk of disdain. He didn't notice that Lily stood next to Jaimie, and apparently chose not to. Lily, not taking this lightly decided to act.   
"Yeah, hi to you too, Damion." Lily replied dully.   
He acknowledge her for a second, his face not showing the slightest bit of emotion, but placed a hand on Jaimie's arm and pulled her away.   
"What are you doing, associating with a mudblood?" He asked sternly.   
"_Mudblood?_ Damion, that's Lily your talking about-my best friend, hello?" Jaimie replied taken aback.   
"No girlfriend of mine is going to be hanging around a mudblood." Damion replied, coldly.   
"Are you telling me what to do?" Jaimie asked, pulling away.   
Saved from spitting out a reply, Lily pulled Jaimie away and walked toward the tea shop, urging her indignant friend forward.   
"C'mon, avoid a fight, don't listen to him . . . " Lily muttered, a note of urgency in her whispered voice.   
"Jaimie, I'm not done with you yet!" Damion called out, running to catch up to Jaimie.   
Damion tugged on Jaimie's free arm, making Jaimie slip out of Lily's grip. He pulled Jaimie along, his hand clasped firmly on her wrist, Jaimie struggling in protest, "Damion, let me go, your hurting me! Just let me go and I'll follow you." But Damion stayed indifferent.   
Flustered, and seething, Lily entered the tea shop alone, now a mix of worry for her friend in her mind. Nonetheless, she sought out Sirius whose chair landed with a thud on the tiled floor, as he was recently tilting it on its two back legs, peering out of the window.   
"Lily! Where's Jaimie?" One of her friends asked from a table on the far left, she ignored them, and turned right, toward the table. James face alighted, and his mouth cracked in a grin, Remus looked politely puzzled, and Peter, the newcomer, just looked at Lily blankly.   
"Sirius, come quick," She cried, pulling Sirius to his feet.   
"What? What's up, where's Jaimie?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.   
"She's with Damion. They went up the alley, looked a bit mad."   
"What?" Sirius asked, stepping toward the door.   
A couple of Lily's friend in the corner came up and asked once more, "Where's Jaimie?"   
"With Damion." Lily answered gruffly, before turning to Sirius, "Are you coming or not?"   
Sirius strode out of the tea shop, followed by Lily, James, Remus and Peter. Lily led them up the street in the direction that Jaimie and Damion had gone. 

Meanwhile, Jaimie had followed Damion to a small courtyard, further up the alley. Damion stopped and turned to Jaimie, glaring at her through half amused eyes. Jaimie looked blankly back at him, her arms once more folded across her chest. Confused as to why Damion had brought her up here, so far away from the tea shop, and for that matter other people. The courtyard was indeed pretty, flowers lined the walls, and a fountain of a beautiful winged fairy spewed water out of a rose in her hands.   
"Why did you bring me here? Why did you call Lily a mudblood, you didn't used to care." She demanded.   
"I will not tolerate my girlfriend to hang around mudbloods." He repeated evasively.   
"You can't tell me who to be with!" Jaimie spat, her body now full of hatred for the boy in front of her.   
"If you expect us to stay together after this, your wrong. Good-bye Damion." She turned around, her robes billowing as she went, and strode out of the courtyard the way she had come.   
She stomped all the way down the alley way, her hands balled into fists underneath her robes, her green eyes suddenly cold with anger. In the midst of her indignation, she did not see where she was going and bumped into something hard. For the second time that day, Jaimie felt her balance slip and she fell backward, into the arms of none other than Sirius once more, but this time he seemed to be alone. He grinned widely down at her, and Jaimie felt a rush of emotions fall into the pit of her stomach. For a moment, she could not get a word out of her mouth. Her mind told herself to say "Thank you" but she found her lips glued together. Finally, she forced her mouth open and tried to thank him, but all that came out was, "Ouch!"   
Sirius chuckled to himself, and stood her upright. He straightened his robes and then said, "Well, at least you've still got your books." He indicated to a bag that Jaimie held firmly in her left hand.   
_Say something witty, say something witty!_ She thought, forcefully.   
"Precautionary action." She mumbled.   
She felt her face move closer to his, but stopped when Lily came pelting up the street, panting, "Jaimie, oh god Jaimie, hold on,"   
She pulled away quickly and Sirius reached up to scratch his head. Lily was followed by James, then Remus then Peter.   
"Jeez, Padfoot, you had to go sprinting." James heaved.   
"Sorry Prongs." Sirius replied, amicably.   
"Are you alright?" Remus asked, kindly.   
"I'm fine, thanks Remus." Jaimie answered.   
"What happened?" Lily asked, puzzled.   
"Oh me and Damion just had a row, its over." She said, her arms folding upon her chest once more, revealing a bruised wrist.   
Lily's arm shot straight out, but not as fast as Sirius, who examined the black and blue wrist in his hand, his touch gentle against Jaimie's skin.   
"Ouch!" Jaimie cried, Sirius gave her a look of apology, but Remus then took her wrist and examined it herself.   
"He gave this to you?" Remus asked, protectively.   
"Yeah, no biggie, it's alright, Remy." She said, the nickname slipping out of her mouth unexpectedly.   
"Since when did you start calling him that?" Lily asked.   
"We're old friends." Remus answered for her.   
"Since when?" Peter asked, speaking up for the first time around Jaimie and Lily.   
"Since we were four. Our parents are old mates." Jaimie said simply.   
"How come you never told me?" Lily asked.   
"You never asked. And besides, its not like I see him all the time." Jaimie explained.   
"Well it just goes to show you." Sirius said, placing a hand on Remus' back, "There's more to Moony that meets the eye."   
"Moony?" Lily asked, nonplused.   
"Nickname." James replied simply.   
"Oh."   
"We should be getting back. Damion might come looking for you." Remus said.   
"Yeah," They said at different times.   
With that, the group walked back to the heart of Diagon Alley. The boys insisting to buy Jaimie and Lily drinks before heading home via fireplace. When they had reached it, Lily gave them each a hug of good-bye save James who got a glare, before going into the fireplace to her house. Jaimie bid them all farewell, too, telling Remus they might see each other tonight at dinner, and all four boys received hugs in turn, last of all Sirius. She stood in front of him, awkwardly looking at the other boys for privacy. Getting the hint, they left the two alone, to 'greet' each other farewell.   
"So. . ." Jaimie began.   
"So. . ." Sirius replied.   
There was an awkward pause, before they both burst into speech at the same moment. After a slightly comical moment when they both insisted the other to talk, Sirius consented and said, "Well, I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts."   
"Yeah," Jaimie agreed, a bit disappointed, before walking up to him, and giving him a hug.   
They stayed this way for a minute, before pulling away and looking at each other, awkwardly.   
"Well, 'bye." Jaimie turned away from Sirius, who raised his hand in farewell, and looking longingly back at Jaimie, though she did not notice as she promptly spun out of the fireplace back to her house.   


* * *

  
_A/N: This fic is dedicated to Kate, who inspired me w/ her story and to LeAnn who always seems to find good in the worst things. :) N E way, this is the first chapter of my Sirius fic, I hope its good enough, please R/R._


	2. A Whole New World

**A Whole New World**   


_I can show you the world_   
_Shining, shimmering, splendid,_   
_Tell me, princess, now when did_   
_You last let your heart decide_   
_I can open your eyes,_   
_Take you wonder by wonder_   
_Over, sideways and under_   
_On a magic carpet ride_

_A whole new world_   
_A new fantastic point of view_   
_No one to tell us no_   
_Or where to go_   
_Or say we're only dreaming_   
_A whole new world_   
_A dazzling place I've never knew_   
_Unlike when way up here,_   
_Its crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you._   


Later that night, as promised, Remus Lupin, along with his parents, Alan and Charlene, arrived at the Dijon doorstep, carrying a homemade mince pie. It was Mrs. Dijon that answered the door, and ushered them inside. Remus was an only child, and of course was the same age as Jaimie. He, along with Jaimie, would be starting his sixth year at Hogwarts. He also was in Gryffindor, and a very close cousin and friend to Jaimie. Which is why Dominique despised him as well, though she wasn't fool enough to show it in front of the parents. Nonetheless, when Mrs. Dijon had told him that Jaimie was in her room, Dominique followed him, sneering at him along the way.   
When he had finally lost her at Jaimie's door, Remus, who normally wasn't one to show anger or loathing for anyone, came in ranting and raving about Dominique   
"I can't believe her! How could she be like this? I have never done harm to her in anyway, and still she does this to me. I'm glad she doesn't know that I'm a-you know. . ." Remus exclaimed.   
Jaimie looked up, her eyes red and watery, her cheeks tear stained.   
"James?" Remus faltered from his raging.   
"Remus . . ." She got up from her position on her bed and hugged Remus, trying to stifle her tears. Puzzled, never having a girl break down on his shoulder before, Remus just patted her back awkwardly, and said, rather uncertainly, "Everything will be fine."   
He took her to her bed, and forced her to sit down, her face buried in her hands.   
"What's wrong? Why're you crying?" Remus asked.   
"Damion." Jaimie said simply.   
"Oh. Honestly, James, don't cry, he's just a guy." Remus sympathized, "He was an asshole, too."   
"He wasn't always like that! He wasn't always obnoxious. He used to be so nice, and sweet. But I don't know, he's changed. Ever since last year. I know I shouldn't be but I miss him. Anyway I don't wanna bother you with my problems." Jaimie said, with a reassuring smile.   
Remus smiled back. something that always calmed Jaimie down. So, taking a tissue and wiping her wet eyes and blowing her nose, she said, "Thanks Remy."   
"No problem. Hey if you want, we can go kick his ass or something, we can prank him. You want?"   
Jaimie laughed at the thought. "No, I don't want that. That's just wrong. But then again, he called Lily a mudblood. Did I tell you that?" She looked up at Remus who had gone to her dresser and looked at a couple of pictures atop it. He held a picture of Damion and Jaimie together, but instead of doing something couple-ish, the photographic Damion was trying to snog the photographic Jaimie, but she was trying to get away from him. He chuckled to himself, and put back the picture grabbing another frame, one with Jaimie and Lily, and a group of other friends who were posing for Remus.   
"Feh. Huh? What did you say, sorry I wasn't paying attention." Remus apologized.   
"Thanks." Jaimie said, sarcastically.   
"Sorry, I'm just looking at your pictures. Even in photographs your friends never quit."   
"Yeah, You should hear them talk about you guys." Jaimie put a voice on, "_Oh, did you see James looking at me he so likes me! Oh look Sirius, he's so sexy. Oh My god there's Remus, HI REMUS! _It's enough to drive anyone up the wall." She said shaking her head. Anyway, Damion called Lily a mudblood. He's never called her that before. It's like, the Malfoy gene is catching up to him."   
"He called Lily a mudblood?!" Remus repeated, outraged.   
"Yep, I was so ready to slap him. He's never minded before. He was always so friendly to her. But now . . . It's like he's a whole other person."   
"Hmm, you don't say." Remus said, pensively.   
"Anyway do your friends know?" He said, pointing to another picture of Jaimie's friends, Lily and Jaimie seemed to have walked away from their photogenic friends.   
"Nope. But I expect they'll be in a right state. According to them we were the 'perfect match.' Did you know that it was actually Rita that made me go out with Damion?"   
"Really." He was looking at a picture of Rita who was now making smooching faces at him.   
"Mm hmm, at that point I'd already had the biggest crush on Sirius- Oh!" She placed a hand over her mouth, appalled that she had let slip that piece of information to a boy, and one of Sirius' best friends no less.   
"Ahh." Remus smiled insidiously at her, then his smile dropped and turned to a smirk and he then added, "Actually, I already knew that." He shrugged and then proceeded to look out of her window, which opened out to their backyard.   
"How? You don't suppose he knows do you? If he doesn't, promise not to tell!" Jaimie pleaded frantically.   
"It was pretty obvious. And I won't tell, but I think he likes you too." He said, knowingly.   
"You really think so?" Jaimie said uncertainly. Lily had said the same thing, but hearing it from one of his best friends was all the more convincing.   
Remus nodded his head, and Jaimie giggled excitedly.   
"Actually, to tell you the truth, he was one of the reasons why I started avoiding you. Because you were always together pranking people."   
"What? You were afraid we'd prank you?" Remus asked, baffled.   
Jaimie smiled sheepishly at him.   
"I'd never do that to you. Neither would Sirius or James, for that matter. He would never let anything happen to you, especially since you are one of the most popular people at school." Remus smirked.   
"Shut up! I hate it when people say that."   
Remus finished his inspection of her room, before going back to her bed, and plopping down upon it. Jaimie opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again. Noticing this, Remus asked, "Something you want to say?"   
Jaimie paused, then said, "As a matter of fact, I do. Sirius, James and Peter know your secret don't they."   
Remus' eyes widened for a second, before returning to normal size. His face suddenly became solemn, and his hand stroked his chin. Finally, after a nerve-racking minute to Jaimie, he said, wearily, "Yes."   
"How'd they find out, you didn't tell them did you?" She asked, a hint of worry in her voice.   
"No, they found out on their own." Remus looked as if he wanted to say more, but apparently decided against it, and Jaimie didn't pursue the subject any further, however, she felt immense grief and sorrow for her dearest cousin and then said, "I'm sorry, Remy." She leaned toward him, and gave him a large hug. She lay her head on his shoulder, and gave a big sigh. They stayed this way for a long time, Jaimie on the verge of crying once more.   
"I'm sorry," She repeated, "Its all my fault."   
"No it wasn't!" Remus replied. "It wasn't your fault, but the bloody bastard who'd bitten me."   
"Yes it was. If you never came, I would've been bitten, and you wouldn't be the werewolf."   
"Don't say that, it wasn't your fault, and things wouldn't be better if you'd been bitten."   
"I'm sorry anyway . . . I'm sorry for everything!" She felt the tears fall down her cheek, and disappear into Remus' robes.   
Remus put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.   
"Its ok, I don't blame you in the slightest." He whispered.   
"Remus, you're more of a sibling to me than Dominique. I never want to lose you."   
"I know." He replied, his voice full of warmth. Of course he knew this already. He loved Jaimie as if she were his own sister, and he knew she loved him as well. And they both knew that they would go to any lengths to save the other.   
She pulled away from him, and he offered her his sleeve, which she declined, using her own. When she had done that, she looked up at Remus, who was smiling benignly, and Jaimie returned the smile almost too happily.   
But before Jaimie or Remus could say any more, Mrs. Dijon's voice called from below, beckoning them to dinner. So, drying her watery eyes on her sleeve, she stood upon the floor, reached the door, and turned the handle, letting Remus out before she herself went out in the hall. Dominique had already reached the last stair, as Remus and Jaimie appeared at the landing. They walked downstairs, and turned left going into the dining room where Jaimie's and Remus' parents had sat around the table already, Mr. and Mrs. Dijon sitting at the opposite ends of the table, Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan sitting on one side, Dominique and two empty seats on the other.   
Jaime and Remus walked in, amid Mr. and Mrs. Lupin's cries of joy. Dominique smirked evilly from her unnoticed spot. Jaimie looked nervously over at her sister, and gave a weak smile to her aunt and uncle.   
"Your looking more and more like Belle everyday." Aunt Charlene said, pinching Jaimie's cheek. The others at the table laughed, and Jaimie glanced at Dominique, whose eyes were glinting maliciously. _Oh god, this is going to be a story to tell, why couldn't I have come here before Dominique!_ She thought desperately.   
Finally, when she was released from the fawning clutches of Aunt Charlene, she retreated to her seat beside Remus, who patted her arm apologetically.   
With that, Mr. Dijon said, "Ok, let's eat." And soon platters of chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and roast beef were being passed around the table. The adults were having fun talking about the new hairdo, or else talking about the Quidditch World Cup. Remus would sometimes answer a question or two whether he liked to fly, and he would nod politely, but besides that, neither Jaimie, Remus or Dominique talked much, except when addressed. When dessert was being passed around, still the talk between the grown-ups had not wavered, until a voice from the fireplace called out Jaimie's name. Puzzled, Jaimie, pulling Remus along, went to check who the caller was, though she didn't have to. She recognized that drawled, bored voice anywhere.   
As the fireplace came into view, the flames dancing merrily in the grate, Jaimie took note of the head of her ex-boyfriend, sitting quite placidly among the flames.   
"Damion? How'd you get the right fireplace?" Jaimie asked, with Remus in tow.   
"I had to talk to you . . . _alone._ What's he doing here?" He diverted, noticing Remus in the corner, his arms folded across his chest, looking very formidable indeed.   
"He's my cousin, if you must know, and I already said all I need to say to you this afternoon, so good bye." She walked away, taking Remus' arm and walking back to the dining room. As she was about to go out of the living room hall, she chanced a glance back, and noticed that the flames no longer had a head in them.   
She asked permission to be excused and ran up the stairs, Remus following close behind her, and they ran into Jaimie's room, shutting the door where she promptly started grumbling about Damion.   
"I can't believe him! He actually had the nerve to call upon me! And he was being a total-" She cast about for a word.   
"Dick?" Remus supplied.   
"Yeah, and he was completely rude to you! I can't believe him!" Jaimie went on, especially about how rude he was to Remus.   
"It's alright, honestly, I don't mind. He doesn't know we're cousins, he probably thought we were an item." He replied with a shrug.   
"If my friends heard that , I think that they would excommunicate me." She said, giggling.   
"What? They fancy _me_?" He said, as if it were the most ludicrous idea in world.   
"Yeah, didn't you see my picture? They were posing for you. Well I should say, your actually one of many boys they fancy. They're quite girlie. They'll like anything that's got a hot dog between the legs-"   
"Jaimie!" Remus interjected, startled.   
"What?" Jaimie laughed, "Its true! But don't tell 'em I said so."   
Remus smiled impishly back at her, before taking a piece of parchment and a quill and jotting a few things down upon it.   
Curious, Jaimie asked, "What are you doing?"   
"Writing," Was the simple reply.   
"Obviously." Jaimie said.   
She got up and tried to look over his shoulder at what he was doing. But he covered it with his arm and said, "Nope, I'll show you when I'm done."   
She started pushing his arm away, but he was too strong and lifted her up around the waste and hung her over his shoulder, carrying her to the other side of the room, Jaimie squealing and laughing against him.   
"Remy! Uh, Remy your so mean!" She cried, trying hard not to laugh.   
When he put her down and ran back to his parchment and quill, she pretended to be angry, "Ugh," She cried in mock disgust, "Just because your taller and stronger than me, doesn't give you the right to carry me, men." She crossed her arms in indignation and put her nose in the air.   
Preoccupied, Remus responded, his voice slightly muffled, "Tough luck, dear cousin."   
Jaimie got up and made her way to Remus, her hands outstretched, but Aunt Charlene's voice boomed up through the landing, beckoning to Remus, Jaimie and Dominique.   
Remus, making sure to pocket the parchment with his writing upon it, hurried to the door, letting Jaimie out first this time, saying in a very silky voice, "Ladies first." He bowed her out.   
"Shut up, Remy." She ordered him lightly.   
"Why miss, why so angry?"   
Jaimie stuck her tongue out at him.   
They trooped down the stairs, Dominique receiving a large hug from Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan. Jaimie smiled sneakily down on Dominique, before Aunt Charlene took her in a bear hug as well. Remus received a hug from Mrs. Dijon and a hearty pat from Mr. Dijon. And with a last hug from Remus to Jaimie, and very reluctantly, Remus to Dominique, the Lupin's left.   
Jaimie traipsed back up to her room and shut the door. Leaving the rest of the family to their own devices. She lay on her bed, thinking about Damion, his unkind words about Lily, and then to Sirius. Her heart skipped a beat.   
_Even when I'm thinking of him, he still gives me goose bumps._ She folded her arms and began rubbing her upper arm, something she did whenever she was under pressure. She reminisced about how lovely he smelled, and his dark eyes, that were always lit with laughter. She quickly lost herself in a daydream, and didn't even notice a tawny owl swoop in through her open window, a letter clutched in its beak. The owl dropped the letter in her face, before landing on the bed next to her. Surprised, Jaimie took the paper, and unfolded it, and her heart rate shot up when she read who it was from. Dear Jaimie, 

How are you? How's your arm? Anyway, I didn't know any other way to get this to you, and I didn't know if I could talk to you by floo powder so I just wrote you a note, thinking that my owl could find you. Anyway, I'm just writing to you to ask if you can come to the fireplace in your house. Do you think you can? If so at what time? I think that we can talk then. 

Sirius Jaimie hurriedly took a quill and a blank piece of parchment, and jotted down an answer, careful not to sound as if a desperate, barely single person. When she was done writing her answer, she reread it to see if something was wrong. Dear Sirius, 

I am fine, thank you for asking. The bruise isn't so bad, I've covered it with a bracelet to keep the folks from asking. Anyway, as to a meeting at the fireplace, I'd love to. And it might be a little safer to call on me at around nine-ish. Less chance of being interrupted. Well, I can't wait! 

Jaimie Finally satisfied, she rolled up the parchment, and tied it to the owl's scaly leg, before watching it fly out of the the open window. She watched as the owl became a tiny pinprick in the sky, subconsciously letting out a dreamy sigh. In spite of her mood, she smiled, hardly waiting for the moment that she would see Sirius face to face again.   
And so, she sat idly in her room, trying and failing to do something that could preoccupy her until her meeting with Sirius. She actually amused herself with looking at all her photographs, and discarding those which involved Damion. And then, she fell upon a picture she had not seen in ages.   
It was a photograph of herself and Remus at a birthday party. They both wore party hats, and were dressed to match, with a pair of red overalls, and a short sleeved shirts which had golden snitches and ordinary objects turning into other things. She gazed at it, nostalgia filling her heart. She was captivated at how young she looked. She noticed that one of her teeth were missing, as well as Remus, and they could not have been older than age five. _This was before he turned into a werewolf. He looked so happy and carefree. I'm so sorry, Remus, It's all my fault._ She stared at the smiling and waving face of a five-year-old Remus, eyes filled with so much mirth and happiness, and herself. And despite her feelings of elation at meeting Sirius, a tear fell from her eye, and landed upon the glass of the picture frame, so that her photo-face was slightly augmented.   
Realizing what she had done, she quickly swiped at her eyes, trying to prevent more tears from spilling, and hurriedly dried the glass. She gave a sigh and placed the picture on her bedside table, placing it in front of her alarm clock, so that when she awoke to its sound the next day, she would see her and Remus' younger faces gleaming happily at her.   
When she had found something to sustain her, nine o'clock didn't seem such a long time. So finally, when it was five 'til nine, she peeked carefully out in the hallway to make sure no one would see her going down the stairs and meet with Sirius. When the coast was clear, she opened the door a bit wider and tiptoed out and down the stairs to the fireplace. She walked into the living room to find that Sirius' head was sitting, much like Damion's had, among the flames, looking very curiously around the living room. Surprised that Sirius was already there, at what she thought was five minutes 'til, she suddenly burst into speech.   
"Oh my goodness, was I late? I thought if I had come a bit earlier I would've made it." She said, breathlessly.   
"You're not late, I'm just early." Sirius said, a hint of amusement in his voice.   
"Oh. Well, we're here, what did you need to talk about?" She asked as casually as possible.   
"Don't be silly, your coming to my house. come on, take some floo powder and come on in. Its "12 Grimmauld Place." He said, as if it was alright for Jaimie to go on nighttime strolls with a very handsome and capable boy.   
But not wanting to sound lame in front of one of the coolest boys ever, Jaimie hesitated, looking slightly dumbfounded, before saying, "At this time?"   
"Sure why not? It'll be fun, no interruptions." He said, "Besides, Sirius wants you to be with him, pweeeease?" He gave her a very persuasive expression, and unable to refuse, Jaimie consented, and threw the green powder into the flames where Sirius' head had recently been.   
She stepped amid the once orange now green flames and cried, "12 Grimmauld Place!" Before she was sent spinning away from her living room, feeling slightly disinclined to leave the safety of her house.   
Finally when she had stopped spinning, she felt herself being propelled forward, but for the third time today, she was caught by Sirius, who smiled winningly down at her, and all her worries had vanished from her mind as his lovely scent filled her nostrils, and she felt a tad self-conscious that her trip to his house by floo powder was not a very clean one.   
Sirius helped her gain her balance, and promptly brushed a hand through his well kept, dark hair. His dark eyes once more glinting with a mischievous light. Jaimie preoccupied herself from staring avidly at every inch of Sirius by brushing nonexistent particles from her shirt and jeans. Finally, when she could find not one other bit of clothing that needed dusting and looked at Sirius who gave her a knee weakening smirk. Promptly, he took her hand and steered her out of what seemed to be the dining room. When they had reached double french doors, he pulled down the handle and pushed the door open quietly, so that he did not wake anyone. He looked back at her and smiled again, place a finger to his lips and motioned for her to be quiet. So, her hands still held lightly in his, they crept out of the dining room, and into a hallway. And it wasn't very comforting.   
Placed on plaques high above their heads, were house-elf heads. And under them, were sleeping paintings of what seemed to be the Black's ancestors. They reached the bottom of a stairway, but he did not lead her up it, but instead kept going, toward the front door. He turned the handle very slowly once more, as if afraid that the tiniest squeak would awaken the whole neighborhood.   
He pushed open the door and held it open for Jaimie to go through, all the while still not letting go of her hand. When he shut the door, he turned to Jaimie, who smiled at him, and said, "Sorry about that. The folks can even hear the drop of a pin so we had to be careful. Didn't want anyone to follow us."   
"Follow us where?" Jaimie asked, slightly curious.   
"Just around. This is really the only time that I can't be disturbed. Come one," He walked forward, still clutching Jaimie's hand and said, "I know a place." 

So, walking away from the safety of Sirius' front door, He led her down their neat path and turned left, his pace quickening with excitement, which was so infectious that Jaimie was getting very anxious to get where he intended them to go. They walked farther on, occasionally turning a corner or crossing the street, Jaimie now completely excited that she started jumping around Sirius, who would laugh and vaguely answer her inquiries as to where they were going.   
"Just a little farther." He half soothed, half teased, and when he did say this, she would playfully slap his arm.   
Finally, when they were at the corner about fifteen minutes from where they were originally, he stopped, and turned around to face Jaimie with a smile.   
"Are we there yet?" She asked hopefully.   
"Not quite, but I want you to close your eyes."   
"Why?" Jaimie asked, a bit alarmed.   
"You'll see." He walked around her, Jaimie frozen in place as he place both his hands lightly over her eyes.   
"Sirius-" She began.   
"Shh . . . just trust me." He said, and for an unknown reason (which in retrospect was very foolish) she did.   
So they walked forward this way, though their going was slow. Sirius, who was a full head taller than Jaimie, pressed his lean body close to her, so that Jaimie could feel his breathing and his heart beating. Sirius looked lovingly down at her, and unknown to Jaimie, smelled her hair.   
"Are we there yet?" She asked once more.   
"Almost." He answered. 

After two minutes, Sirius once more stopped, and said, "We're here."   
Sirius slowly pulled his hands away from her eyes and let her see what was in front of her. She was a little disappointed to see that it was a- "A park?"   
"Yeah, come on."   
He vaulted over the almost falling fence gate and jumped down on the other side. Doing the same, Jaimie climbed carefully over the fence and jumped into the arms of Sirius. Their faces were both inches from each other. Jaimie biting her lips, almost expectantly, before Sirius let go and walked to the play area where there stood two swings, a teeter totter and various other playground equipment.   
Sirius ran ahead, and grabbed hold of the monkey bars, pulling his body up, and doing a back flip easily.   
Jaimie watched him as he ran to and fro, trying each thing at least once. She noticed he avoided the swings, and said, "I haven't been in a park for years. Brings back memories."   
Sirius just let out a bark-like laugh that echoed throughout the empty playground.   
"Shh, Sirius, people can hear us." Jaimie said, as she looked up at Sirius, who had now climbed up to the very top of the jungle gym and started beating upon his chest, comically.   
Jaimie couldn't help laughing, as Sirius jumped down from his perch. He walked over to her, and took her in his arms and said, "What, Miss, may I ask is so funny?"   
"You are!" She cried.   
Pretending to look affronted, he said, "Moi? I have never heard of anything so preposterous."   
"Uh huh, yeah right. Sirius Black is synonymous with preposterous." She said, trying and failing to look seriously at him.   
Sirius smiled at her, and caught Jaimie off guard, for the next second, she was on the ground, trying to fight against Sirius, who was tickling her madly.   
"Siri-Sirius" She gasped between her fits of laughter.   
"What? Can't understand you!" He replied, pinning Jaimie so she could not get away.   
"S-stop!" She managed.   
He consented, and Jaimie gasped for breath. He got off of her, and held out a hand to help her up. She took it, and stood up, dusting off her back.   
"That's not fair, you cheated." She accused, pretending to be angry.   
"I would never cheat." He replied.   
"Yeah, you wouldn't." She feigned, catching Sirius off guard before she jumped on him and started tickling him.   
He managed to get Jaimie off, and ran toward the other direction. Jaimie cried, "Hey no fair! Your stronger than me!"   
"Bleh!" He stuck his tongue at her, childishly.   
Jaimie turned the other way and started to walk the other way. Giving in, Sirius walked over to her, and tested, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."   
But still she did not respond. Finally, deciding that her anger was real he walked up to her and attempted to give her a hug, when she turned around and rub his head hard, messing his hair.   
"Hey look who cheated now!" Sirius, called, laughing.   
"Bleh!" It was Jaimie's turn to be childish. She ran away from Sirius, who caught her in no time, and overbalancing, they fell down, Sirius breaking her fall.   
Both panting, Jaimie lay on top of Sirius, a little worried if he was alright.   
"Are you okay?" She brushed away a lock of hair from his face, " Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."   
Sirius smiled wryly up at her and said, "I don't mind." He gave her an impish grin and she pulled herself off of him, disgusted.   
"Your such a pervert!" She teased.   
She looked about for something to do, and noticed the swings that were untouched, and ran toward it, calling after Sirius, "C'mon, let's have a race, see who gets the highest faster!"   
She planted herself on the swing, and waited as Sirius walked casually over to her, and instead of sitting down on the extra swing, went behind her and pushed.   
"This is okay too." Jaimie said, enjoy the wind ripple her hair, and blow lightly across her face as she swung back and forth, feeling Sirius' hands push her firmly forward.   
"Which do you prefer, night or day." Jaimie asked suddenly.   
"I'm not partial to either one. And you?"   
"Night."   
"Hmm, why?"   
"Because, its the only time where I can be alone, and not have Dominique or my parents or Damion grill me. And I love the stars. They're so beautiful, you can just look at them without feeling pressure to be something."   
"True." Sirius replied, as he grabbed the chains and stopped her from swinging further. He placed his face right next to hers and whispered in her ear, "You know, there's supposed to be a meteor shower soon, wanna see it with me?"   
"Is that an invitation?"   
"Of course."   
"Then yes."   
Sirius smiled, and began to push her again, and watched as Jaimie closed her eyes, and enjoyed the quiet.   
After a few minutes, Jaimie had an idea, and planted her feet firmly into the sand to keep herself from going further. Jaimie stood up and faced Sirius, who looked politely puzzled at her. She walked around the swing, and took his hands his hers, and said, "Let's dance."   
She placed his right hand firmly in hers, and his left hand on her hips, placing her left hand on his neck, and began to lead him in circles, the moon, a brilliant scythe in the sky, lighting their way.   
Now Jaimie wasn't the best dancer, but dancing came naturally to her, and she had no problem leading Sirius around, in fact, it was actually nice to finally be the leader for a change.   
Circuit after circuit, Sirius looked down upon their feet, trying to get the hang of the dance, and when he did, he looked happily at Jaimie, who smiled back. After a few minutes, Sirius had mastered the step and began doing intricate moves. Then, their dance suddenly became a game, and he spun her around and around until they had gotten dizzy, and they both let go of each other, falling lightly on the soft grass, gazing up at the stars. They both giggled madly, and when their mirth subsided, Jaimie gazed up at the stars pensively, thinking of nothing in particular, enjoying the company of Sirius and relaxing at the fact that she was with whom she so longed to be with. After a few minutes however, the grass beneath her head suddenly became and uncomfortable, and started shift to get into a better position.   
Noticing this, Sirius turned to her and said, "C'mon, lie down on my chest, its more comfortable."   
"No its alright-" She began.   
Interrupting her he said, "No its okay, come on, I won't bite." He said, bracingly.   
Reluctantly, Jaimie relaxed her head on his chest, and put her left arm under her head to ease the burden a bit, but instead, he took her hand in his and held it there, gently stroking her soft skin with his thumb. Relaxed, and at peace, she gave a sigh and looked up at the crescent moon, and suddenly remembered Remus. Her gut filled with guilt, and suddenly remembered that Sirius knew that he was a werewolf too. She looked up at Sirius, who looked down at her too, and she said, "I wish we can stay here forever."   
"Yeah. . . " Sirius agreed.   
Jaimie paused, debating to herself whether to proceed, then decided it was better, "So, You know about Remus' secret?"   
Sirius paused, pondering if she knew, and then said cautiously, "What are you talking about?"   
"About his monthly trip to his sick mother's?" She said, hinting.   
Realizing that she knew too, he proceeded, "Yeah."   
"How'd you find out?"   
"Well, we just noticed a whole bunch of coincidences."   
"Like how he was sick during the full moon?"   
"Yes, and when he faced the boggart in Defense, it turned into the moon, remember?"   
"Yeah." Jaimie reminisced the situation.   
"How long have you known?" Sirius asked her.   
Jaimie paused, not wanting to give out too much information on the moment. "Since he was first bitten."   
"Oh. You guys are close aren't you?"   
"Yeah, he's like the brother I never had. How about you, barely five years, and you guys already have nicknames."   
Sirius laughed softly. His left hand had now found their perch on her head, as he smoothed her hair back. Jaimie felt relaxed as he stroked her gently. Sirius smiled inwardly, the weight of her head on his chest seemed enough to for him. And he sat happily, thinking of nothing in particular, and gazing absently at the stars. Jaimie closed her eyes peacefully, and listened to Sirius' heart beat under her, and never felt safer in her entire life. She really did feel like she could stay this way forever . . . Suddenly, as if she was stung by a bee, Jaimie sat bolt upright, and cried, "Oh my goodness, how long have we been out here?"   
"Not long enough." Sirius said regretfully, sitting up too.   
Jaimie raised her left hand and peered down at her watch, it read '1:34'. Jaimie stood up, Sirius following suit, and said, "We'd better go, its half past one."   
"I didn't think we stayed out here for that long." Sirius added, getting up as well.   
"Yeah, it was so fun." She laughed.   
Sirius agreed. He walked over to the broken down fence and climbed over, catching Jaimie once more when it was her turn. Instead of pulling away quickly, they stayed in each other's arms, Jaimie finding warmth in Sirius' dark eyes, something that always wasn't there to begin with. She closed her eyes, and he did too. She felt her forehead touched his, anticipating the feeling of his lips, but then a little nugget of guilt crept into her mind and instead placed her hands on his chest, and said, "I can't. It's too soon. I'm sorry." She apologized to him, before pulling away, the mood ruined.   
The look of disappointment on his face was pronounced only for a second. His face became solemn, and he nodded, saying, "Its alright. Don't worry about it."   
He took her hand, and headed home. Jaimie, a boiling pot of emotions, gripping his hand as they walked back to his house.   
  
  
  
  


* * *

_A/N: The ending is a bit weak, but . . . i couldn't think of anything. Thanks to those who read, and to those who reviewed, I love you! ;)___

_Special thanks to Mishi6 for correcting me w/ the scythe/sickle thing ^_^_


	3. Wherever You Will Go

**Wherever You Will Go**   


_So lately, I've been wonderin_   
_Who will be there to take my place_   
_When I'm gone, you'll need love_   
_To light the shadows on your face_   
_If a great wave should fall_   
_It would fall upon us all_   
_And between the sand and stone_   
_Could you make it on your own_

_If I could, then I would_   
_I'll go wherever you will go_   
_Way up high or down low_   
_I'll go wherever you will go_   
  
  


Sirius walked on, Jaimie trudging sleepily behind him, thinking about 'the moment'. She thought about what she could say to Sirius to console him, an apology, or a promise, but they didn't seem suitable. So she just stayed quiet, walking along like a child, her head lolling, and feet getting heavier, her eyelids drooping.   
Sirius, as if in tune with her thoughts and emotions turned to her and smiled, and placed a supporting arm around her shoulders. Appreciating the extra help, Jaimie placed both her arms around his middle, pulling him into a kind of hug. He smiled to himself, as Jaimie placed her head on his chest, closed her eyes, and letting Sirius lead her to wherever. He liked it this way, it gave him a sense of her trust. It was a way of saying that she trusted her life to him, to lead her anywhere, and she would go willingly, and for once, in his sixteen years of life, he felt a need to keep her safe, to protect her from anything and everything; he felt love instead of lust, and the feeling was very new and scary to him. All the same, he walked on, holding Jaimie tightly him, not willing to let go of her.   
When they had finally reached his door step, Jaimie was in a deep sleep. Finding it hard to go inside with an unconscious body on its feet, he decided to carry her up instead. So, he lifted her sleeping form easily into his arms, and turned the door knob cautiously. He climbed the stairs to his room and closed the door, placing Jaimie on his bed, and taking off her shoes and cloak, and not bothering to dress himself, lay down next to her, and fell asleep. 

That night, or what was the rest of it, Jaimie had a dream. She was running in the woods, it must have been night, because all around her were darkness. Trees loomed out of the horizon so suddenly, it was as if they walked in front of her. She caught glimpses of the moon, beneath the heavy foliage. Sweat broke out in tiny beads on her face, her heart pounding against her heart so much, it hurt. Besides her own eight-year-old feet, there were massive pounding from behind her. _Oh no, its gaining on me,_ She thought frantically, though she did not know what it was. She tried to look behind her, and saw a clothed arm, a furry leg, but only for brief instances. She forced herself to look forward, to run faster, but her foot caught painfully on an uprooted root, and she fell, face first in the dirt. Panting heavily, and tears coming down in rapid streams down her face, she pushed herself backward, trying to put as much distance from her and the thing as possible. But she stopped, her back hit a solid surface, and however much she tried to push against it, it would not give.   
Making herself as small as possible, though it was no use, she curled in a ball, hoping against hope that the thing would not see her. And then, she heard rustling, padded footsteps, and chose to peek at it. It was a werewolf, she'd seen pictures of them in books. Saliva hung in ropes from its mouth, his eyes, great yellow balls with slits for pupils glared angrily at her. Clawed paws, with bits of cloth clinging to it were curled before it, reaching out to her. It jumped forward, ready to attack Jaimie, and she pushed herself back once more, though not getting anywhere.   
"Please, don't hurt me. Please, just go away." She cried helplessly, but for all the good it did she might just as well petted the thing.   
The werewolf jumped at her, and she screamed out loud, pacing herself for the feeling of claws tearing through her small body, or the feeling of teeth. But none came, in fact the werewolf was growling and howling in pain, as if it was struck by something. Jaimie chanced a peek and noticed a small boy, about her age, standing protectively in front of her, brandishing a large branch and swinging it menacingly in front of the beast.   
"Remus! Remus don't, just run away!" She cried, as she made to stand up.   
"No, run Jaimie, run. Get away from here!" He replied.   
"But what about you?!" Jaimie shrieked helplessly.   
"I'll be fine, just send for help! Now go!"   
Jaimie stood rooted to the spot.   
"Go!" He said turning to her, and in that fatal moment, when Remus had focused his attention on her, the werewolf grabbed the branch in his arms, tearing it clear out of his grasp. Jaimie screamed a piercing scream as the werewolf lunged for Remus who looked bewildered at the monster and bit him in the arm.   
Remus let out a yell that turned slowly into a roar as his human shape slowly changed into a wolf like one. His nose was slowly elongating, grayish fur coming in great clumps all over it. He body and arms shortened, gained more hair, his clothes tearing and ripping in places.   
Jaimie watched in horror as before her, her dearest cousin turned into a werewolf. Jaimie let out a choked yell and her eyes snapped open. She was no longer in the woods and she was no longer eight, but sixteen and inside an unfamiliar room. It took her a while to remember what had happened, and then it hit her, and for a while she thought that Sirius had taken her to her room, but found out, with a nasty turn of her stomach, that he hadn't. She was in his room. She had slept with him in his room, on his bed. She sat bolt upright, her heart rate rising, and checked her watch. Her stomach did another uncomfortable flip and found out it was six in the morning. She turned her head to the right and looked down.   
Sirius lay next to her, his eyes closed, his mouth slightly open in peaceful sleep. He hadn't bothered to change from his clothes last night. They were grass stained and dirty from lying on the grass. She put her feet on the wood floor and found her shoes next to the bed. She put them on and looked for her cloak, it lay in a chair in the corner. She picked it up and checked if anything else was missing. When she was sure nothing was, she tiptoed to the door, but looked back on Sirius' sleeping body, she walked back to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek, whispering, "Thanks for last night." She smiled and walked to the door.   
She barely grasped the handle when Sirius spoke up, scaring her to high heaven.   
"Leaving so soon?" His head was on his hands, and he lay on his side, looking as if he had the time of his life.   
"Yeah, its six in the morning, and if you hadn't already noticed, we've spent the night together." She said, turning around.   
"Nothing happened." He replied, as if proving a point.   
"I know, I don't think you're capable of anything more than carrying me over a fence." She smiled slightly, half-heartedly believing this.   
Sirius smirked, he jumped out of bed, and walked to her, his head bent slightly, his eyes bearing into Jaimie's, "Don't you want to have some breakfast, or something."   
"No thanks, I think I'll just head home. If word of this gets out, I don't know what I'd do."   
"So don't tell them." He said, scratching his head, and pinning Jaimie against the door, both his arms acting like barriers to keep her from moving to either side.   
Jaimie ducked under and said, "Well, sure, but If I know my parents, they'll be waking me up soon, and I'd rather not risk them catching me out of bed in another part of the country. They'd want an explanation, which would include you, sneaking out at night and us, well, sleeping together." She said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.   
Sirius' eyes furrowed and he thought all she had said in his head, finally agreeing, he stepped away from the door, and opened it for her, bowing her out. She walked out, Sirius after her, and looked about her. It seemed that they were on the second floor, and was about to walk down the stairs when Sirius stopped her.   
"Shh, be quiet, you'll wake everything up." He grabbed her arm to stop her from going further.   
"Don't' you mean everyone?" She suggested, a look of incredulity on her face.   
He shook his head, and tiptoed down the steps to the dining room. He opened the double doors and walked in, resuming his normal walking speed, and tone of voice. Jaimie, relieved walked to the fireplace, and stopped waiting for him. She looked at him and said, "Last night was probably the best night of my life." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek, before grabbing handful of floo powder, tossing them into the flames and calling out "Fourteen Alton Gardens!"   
Sirius stood, watching her as she disappeared in a burst of emerald-green flame. 

Her living room loomed out of the corner and grew bigger every second. Her heart was beating fast, and she hoped against hope that her parents or Dominique were not sitting there, waiting for expectantly. To her immense relief, it was person free, and she tried to make her landing as quiet as possible, and landed, cat like on the living room floor. She looked about unnecessarily and sprang up. Tiptoeing, she climbed the stairs, staring about in case someone had decided to wake up early, even though she had made it home, seemingly unnoticed, there still was the state of her clothes, just as Sirius' were, hers were dirty with grass stains and were covered in dirt. When she had cleared the awkward space between the last step and her door, she jumped into her bed, pulled back and sheets, and covered herself with her blanket. She didn't bother to change, she just wanted to lay there and think about the night before, and about her dream. _That's the first time I've thought about it in years. _She thought to herself.   
She turned over on her side, her back now facing the wall, unable to bring herself to think so dark. _I've spent the night with Sirius._ She thought feeling elated, then another thought surfaced in her mind, _Yes, that's all fine, but what of Damion? _It was more of a bittersweet feeling. Thinking of Damion was a fairy tale gone wrong. He was mysterious, and dark, which made him sexy, but once you had gotten to know him, he was sweet and very thoughtful and quite the gentlemen. Jaimie knew about his family's reputation, about being a Malfoy. There were strange rumors going around that the Malfoy's have been attacking wizards and muggles but Jaimie didn't let this bother her. Damion was an exception to the rule. _Well, back then anyway._ She thought bitterly. And then, there was Sirius, he was also mysterious but he wasn't dark. He was the rebel without a cause, the bad boy who had a smile that could kill a hippogriff a mile away.   
_Oh boy, I'm starting to sound like a boy-crazy teen. Well, I am one, save the boy-crazy part._ She thought, biting back a smile.   
She was busy wallowing in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that her door creaked silently open, and in came a sandy-blonde haired boy creep quietly in, intent on awakening his cousin horribly. He sniggered to himself, and Jaimie heard, and turned over so quickly it was as if she was being flipped like a burger patty.   
"Damn!" Remus swore loudly.   
"'Morning Remy. What did you plan to do, wake me up?" She said brightly.   
"As a matter of fact, yes. But you're awake. Wide awake and happy. _Why_? He asked, suspiciously.   
"Well, I was with Sirius." She said simply, as she pulled off the blanket and sat up, revealing her dirty clothes.   
"Um, James, you know, its a bit unhygienic to wear clothes that look like you've fought a war in them." Remus suggested, with a raise of his eyebrows.   
"Oh, don't be silly. I just got home, I was with Sirius all night! Sit down I'll tell you about it." Jaimie said, slapping the mattress next to her.   
Remus reluctantly obeyed and sat down, looking expectantly at her, and Jaimie proceeded with her story.   
When she had finished, Remus was looking very skeptical indeed, noticing this Jaimie asked, a bit hurt, "You don't believe me?"   
"Oh, no its not that, its just that . . . never mind" He said.   
"No tell me!" She insisted.   
"No its alright, its not important."   
Not pursuing the conversation, Jaimie shrugged, "Its your choice."   
"So what are you planning to do today?" Jaimie asked instead.   
"I'm gonna meet Sirius, James and Peter at Diagon Alley," Remus said, looking at Jaimie a bit darkly.   
"What's wrong, don't you want to meet them?" She asked, placing a hand on his back.   
"No, its nothing, just forget it." He said.   
"What are you going to do? Play a few pranks on unsuspecting witches and wizards? You can't prank Madam Malkin anymore, I went in there after you guys had set loose the door mice, and she knew it was you four immediately. Was she in a right state." Jaimie added, reminiscing the chaos that was the robe shop last summer.   
Remus interrupted her trip through memory lane when he said, "Nah, I don't think we're going to be pranking anyone. Although the occasion might present itself." He finish, still looking pensive.   
"C'mon Remus tell me what's wrong. I'm your cousin, not bloody Katherine Stein." She said. Katherine Stein was officially the school gossiper. If you told her a secret, and ordered her specifically not to tell anyone, the whole school would now before you could say 'silencio.'   
Remus was saved having to reply by the sound footsteps outside, and a knock on her door.   
"Come in!" Jaimie answered.   
Dominique's sneering face appeared from the crack she had made in the door. She took one look around and stared suspiciously at Jaimie, who had covered her clothes with her pillow, and said, "Breakfast is ready." She said stiffly.   
"We'll be down in a minute, now leave." Jaimie replied coldly.   
"I don't need you to tell me, your room is completely horrid." She closed the door with a snap, and heard her footsteps die out.   
"We must obey the almighty cow." Remus said, with a worshipping bow.   
Jaimie laughed and said, "I'll be right down, I need to change."   
Remus gladly left the room, leaving Jaimie to dress in a fresh pair of jeans and blouse, hurried out the door, to find that Remus was leaning on the first step and said, "Wow, that was quick for a girl." Remus taunted.   
Jaimie quickly stowed her dirty clothes away in a dirty clothes hamper before meeting Remus on the steps, "Stuff it, Remus." She retorted.   
She walked down the stairs, and briefly saw Remus run down, clearly racing her. She took up the challenge and they started pushing each other out of the way to the dining room where they always had these breakfasts.   
Everyone was seated in the same seats they sat in the night before, save the men who Jaimie surmised to be getting the actual meal. Jaimie's mom and Aunt Charlene turned and said, "Good morning." and Jaimie promptly mumbled a 'good morning' to them too. She sat beside Remus who was acting as a barrier between the constantly bickering sisters. And like the night before, the adults began their talk of gossip, while the kids just stayed quiet, Jaimie occasionally mumbling something to Remus.   
When breakfast was over, both Remus' and Jaimie's parents left, leaving Dominique, Jaimie and Remus in the house. To their immense relief, Dominique left a through the fireplace, and Lily came to her house at around noon. Jaimie, excited as ever, told her about her night.   
"Are you serious?" Lily asked with eager curiousity when Jaimie had finished.   
"Mm hmm." Jaimie muttered, as she nodded her head, her smile getting bigger.   
Remus just listened to their conversation, a gentle smiled gracing his lips.   
Lily let out a shriek that made Jaimie and Remus flinch in surprise.   
"Sorry," Lily apologized meekly, "So what else happened? Has he talked to you since?" She continued.   
"No, but I guess I'll see him at Hogwarts." She said, a bit disappointed.   
They stayed in the living room, discussing about many things until their conversation died, and Jaimie focused on things she had left undone. Lily and Remus helped her pack, since it was the last day of their summer vacation, and they busied themselves by helping Jaimie clean out the clutter of her room, which was a task all in itself. Mounds of ever piling clothes and books were scattered all over the floor, leaving very little walking space. Jaimie had gotten a surprise, as they had just finished cleaning, when a brown barn owl came flying in through the window, an surprisingly, dropped a letter at Remus' feet, before flying out just as fast. Remus bent over to read the letter, and his eyebrows furrowed when he finished. He gave it to Jaimie, who read it with Lily looking over her shoulder. Jaimie had gotten a nasty shock when she had finished.   
  
To Jaimie Dijon 

Your presence is needed urgently at Diagon Alley, all further information will be disclosed to you at said site, and I encourage you to depart from your home with the company of Mr. Remus Lupin and Ms. Lily Evans. 

Albus Dumbledore   
Jaimie looked up when she finished, and looked at Remus, who looked just as puzzled back. Lily had finished reading the letter too and voiced what the other two had been thinking, "What could possibly be so important that _Albus Dumbledore_ could be writing to you personally?" She asked, scratching her chin.   
Remus ran a hand through his hair, and put his other hand in his pocket, Jaimie still clutched the letter in her hand thinking deeply to herself. It sounded as if whatever was waiting for her at Diagon Alley was not very good. But still, she could not disobey an order from Albus Dumbledore, and grabbed a jacket from her closet, and ran after Remus and Lily who had gone down to the fireplace before her.   
They stood in front of the fireplace, talking to each other in low voices. When Jaimie appeared they closed their mouths and each grabbed a handful of floo powder. They looked at each other, silently asking who would go first. Remus volunteered, followed by Jaimie, and last of all Lily.   
When they had arrived at Diagon Alley, things definitely didn't seem normal and far from happy. The usually busy shopping area was nearly deserted, except for a couple of those who sat in groups of three or four, tightly wrapped in blankets, chunks of chocolate held in pale, stiff fingers. Their faces looked sad and forlorn, and they stared despondantly at the only moving people that were Jaimie, Remus and Lily.   
They walked past empty shops, some of the display windows broken, tiny glass shards shining in the pale light of the cloudy afternoon. Books, empty cages, broom sticks and various other objects lay forgotten and many broken on the floor, looking so desolate in the alley it looked more welcome in a war front. They continued on, looking for a sign of a Ministry official or better yet Albus Dumbledore, who had urged them to come to the ruined alley.   
Finally when they had reached the area in front of Madam Malkin's robes shop, they saw a cluster of wizards, all of whom were standing together, wands at the ready. In the middle of the group, stood Albus Dumbledore, white hair and beard distinct amid the crowd. They walked closer, Jaimie's legs now feeling like a solid block of lead, dreading what they would find out. When Dumbledore had spotted them, he cleared a way between the cluster of wizards who stared back at them solemn faced and weary.   
When Dumbledore had reached them, Jaimie opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out so she closed it again. Remus talked for her, "What happened professor?" Remus asked.   
"Well, its a very long story, and not a pleasant one at that." He looked solemnly in each of their faces, before continuing "Ms. Dijon, Ms. Evans and Mr. Lupin, I regret to inform you that you are standing in the site of a mass murder."   
"Mass murder?" Lily asked, horrified.   
"Yes. But first, I must ask that Jaimie come with me first." He placed a gentle hand on Jaimie's back and led her up to the assembly of wizards who parted willingly as Dumbeldore passed, Lily and Remus following them, slowly.   
They reached the middle of the group and found three unconscious bodies sprawled on the ground, two of which had auburn hair, and another with long blonde hair that curled at the ends. Jaimie's heart pounded painfully in her ribs, her breath was knocked clean out of her, and her stomach seemed to have disappeared. She suddenly felt cold with fright, and her eyes became protuberant and glassy. She could not move, her feet rooted to the floor. She felt Remus and Lily stand on either side of her, both of them taking her into a tight hug that she barely felt. For the unconscious bodies before her were that of her father, mother and sister.   
When she had gained the use of her lungs, Jaimie screamed out loud, a scream that echoed throughout the empty alley, and wrenched herself from Remus' and Lily's grip.   
"Mom, Dad, Dominique . . . " She managed, before she fell to her knees before their bodies and buried her face into her mother's robes.   
"Wake up Mom! Dad, Dominique! Its me, Jaimie, you don't have to pretend anymore, I'm here, everything's alright! Wake up, this isn't funny, wake up! Wake up! Wake up . . . " She faltered, and clung to them, crying heavily. She shook their bodies vigorously, trying to get them to wake up, because that was it, they were sleeping, they would wake up, she could wake them up, they weren't . . . they couldn't be, it was impossible. She would not believe it, she could not believe it. They were just asleep, pretending, anything!   
"Jaimie, come on . . . " Remus tugged at her jacket, but she would not budge, they have to wake up, it wasn't a funny joke anymore.   
"Jaimie, please, you can't do anything for them, they're . . . gone." Lily said, tears spilling down her face too.   
"How could you think that? They're not dead! I know they're not! Please, get up!" She pleaded, she resumed tugging at their bodies once more, but felt the pressure of countless hands grip her and pull her back. Dumbledore stood in the same spot he had stood, and looked solemnly at the scene. Remus and Lily automatically moved to her side and once more grabbed her in a hug, this time Jaimie did not refuse, and buried her face into Remus' shoulder, soaking his jacket with her tears.   
  


* * *

_A/N: Well what do you think? Too dramatic? Please R/R. Thanks goes to those who have reviewed, I truly appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart.___

_Sorry, I had to add a few things to this chapter, I noticed some uh, empty spots so I tried to fill them in . . . er so to speak._


	4. Drops of Jupiter

**Drops of Jupiter**   


_Now that she's back in the atmosphere_   
_With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey_   
_She acts like summer and walks like rain_   
_Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey_   
_Since the return from her stay on the moon_   
_She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey_

_Tell me did you sail across the sun_   
_Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded_   
_And that heaven is overrated_

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star_   
_One without a permanent scar_   
_And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there_   
  


Jaimie didn't know what time it was, nor did she care. To her, it seemed that time had stopped, it seemed that her whole world collapsed, she wasn't even aware that Dumbledore had taken them to the Leaky Cauldron and had Tom, the bar keeper, give Jaimie a room for the night. Remus would be staying there, watching Jaimie on Dumbledore's orders, for his parents were slightly injured and were in St. Mungos getting treatment this minute. But Jaimie didn't notice any of this, nor did she make a notion that she did. She couldn't get the picture of her family's, her only family, three bodies, lying lifeless on the street. Her mind was going a mile a minute, she stared off into space. She sat on her bed in the Leaky Cauldron, staring out the window, still a cloudy day, no sign of life seen or heard. Lily and Remus stood in a corner, not talking, but staring at Jaimie with such pity and sorrow in their eyes. Lily had not wanted to leave her side, and had her parents owled that she would spend the night with Jaimie. At one point, all three of their trunks were sent to them, since the next day they would be starting classes at Hogwarts. But to Jaimie it seemed pointless to go back. Everything was pointless.   
Jaimie sat on the end of the bed nearest the door, staring out the window. The tears no longer came, she was all cried out, instead, there was a gaping and empty hole that was her father, mother and Dominique in her heart, that no amount could fill.   
After five hours of silence, in which Remus and Lily had fallen asleep, Remus on a chair and Lily on the other bed, Jaimie first spoke, "Why?" She whispered faintly.   
Remus snorted, and woke up, Lily stirred, and rubbed her eyes.   
"Why . . . " She repeated.   
"Jaimie?" Remus said, getting up and sitting next to her. Lily did too, and sat on Jaimie's opposite side, and looked at Jaimie piteously.   
Lily pulled her into a one armed hug, and lay Jaimie's head on her shoulder, Remus took her hand. It was in this way that Albus Dumbledore had come to find them, as he walked in wordlessly.   
"I'm glad you asked that, Miss Dijon." He said wearily, before he set himself down on the opposite bed, across from Jaimie.   
"Professor Dumbledore!" Remus said, surprised.   
"Yes, I'm afraid," He replied wearily.   
"Any more news, professor?" Lily asked.   
"Well, I am here to answer any questions that you want to ask."   
At this, Jaimie looked up, and gazed emptily at Dumbledore, she sniffed and said, "Who . . ." She began.   
"Ah, I figured that you would have wanted to ask that question. Perhaps I should start from the beg-" He was interrupted by a sudden arrival at the door. Lily and Remus turned their heads toward the door, their faces indifferent, Jaimie hadn't even turned around.   
Sirius and James stood, panting, looking frantically around. Sirius sighed and staggered to the group, James following him, "Professor Dumbledore, Lily, Remus, Jaimie. I heard what happened." He kneeled in front of Jaimie, who looked at him with the same empty expression she had given Dumbledore, and looked long into his face. Sirius hadn't even waited for a response from the girl and hugged her, and after a moment, when the shock of the sudden movement sunk in, she placed her arms around him and cried. She cried while at the same time talking in sentences for the first time since this afternoon.   
"They're gone! They're gone! Why'd they go? They were supposed to be here forever, why'd they leave? I hate them! I hate them!" She wept. She clutched Sirius in a very tight grip indeed, but he didn't care, what mattered was that he was here, and that she was alive, not well but alive all the same.   
"I hate them!" Jaimie repeated, tightening her grip once more on Sirius. He forced himself away and looked straight into Jaimie's tear-stained face.   
"Jaimie, don't say that! You don't hate them-"   
"On the contrary Mr. Black, it is quite natural to hate the deceased. It is completely understandable to feel loathing for their early departure from us. So unfairly torn away from our clutches, when their time with us was ill spent. However, if I say so myself, no time spent with our loved ones is truly ill spent. And the dead can never truly be gone. They will live on, not physically but spritiually, forever our hearts." Silence was followed by this little statement, as they all speculated what he had told them. Dumbledore left them little time to reflect and he continued, face completely serious. "But alas, I am getting ahead of myself, I am here to inform you all _why _it happened. I am sure Ms. Dijon would like to know."   
Jaimie, with renewed spirit at what Dumbledore said, nodded, her eyes still glassy, and looking ready to spill once more.   
Sirius picked Jaimie up, and sat on her seat, Jaimie sitting on his lap. James sat next to Lily, who in light of the recent events, did not seem to think it mattered.   
"As I was saying, before I was interrupted,"   
"Sorry, professor," James and Sirius apologized sheepishly.   
"Quite alright boys. Well, I suppose it started a few years ago, with a student named Tom Riddle. He was before your time, so its natural you would not know him. Well, he was incredibly brilliant, head boy in his day. But he was completely immersed in the Dark Arts. When he left school, he traveled the world, sinking himself deeper and deeper into them, going through so many dangerous and complicated transformations, that when he had come back, he was completely unrecognizable. His new name is Lord Voldemort."   
"What kind of a name is that?" Sirius blurted out suddenly.   
"It is a name that was rearranged from his true name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. He despises his father, who was a muggle, who had left his mother and son when he had found out that his wife was a wtich. Shortly after his birth however, his mother died, his father not even bothering to claim his son. He became bitter and angered at his father's ignorance, and therefore he could not stand to be named after him.   
"He hated him so much, that he had decided, based on the actions of a misunderstood muggle, that all muggles and muggle-born witches were somehow inferior to those of pureblood. And so he started his campaign of terror, one that the Ministry has been trying very hard to terminate. But it is useless, more and more wizards, it is my belief that they are those who are pureblood, have been joining him. They have banded together, on the simple task of purging the muggle population, as well as those who oppose him, and help wizard kind dominate this earth. They have donned the name of Death Eaters.   
"So far, they have accomplished the murders of several muggles, which have been very difficult for the Ministry to make excuses for, as well as the erradication of the wizard world's most famous and powerful families, those who have opposed joining him. Jaimie, it is my belief that these are the people who have caused this atrocity to you." He looked into the Jaimie's eyes, as if looking for a seed of understanding, however there was none. She had a million questions inside of her.   
"How do the ministry know that it was this Lord-person that killed my . . . " She may have recovered her abilty to speak, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, it was still much too painful to bear.   
"Above every murder they commit, they send out a sign, called the dark mark, signalling that he or one of his followers had indeed been there." He explained, without asking her to finish her question.   
"How did it happen?" Jaimie asked.   
"As I think you are aware, your father was an auror. Lord Voldemort and his followers had decided to go on a killing spree, and came to Diagon Alley. Both your and Mr. Lupin's parents were there, and they fought bravely. Your sister was there as well and tried to help your parents. I'm afraid to say that she was the first to fall. Your father had sent messages to the Ministry who quickly sprung to action and arrived just as your parents were killed. I believe Mr. Lupin's parents were next, but the Ministry had fought against Lord Voldemort's followers as I had fough Lord Voldemort. We were able to throw them back."   
Jaimie, stared at the ground, her family fought for their lives.   
"Why would they kill people?" Lily asked in the silence.   
"Some people take pleasure in others' suffering." Dumbledore said knowledgeably.   
"Why?" Lily pressed.   
"It is not something I can easily explain to one. I will simply put it as human nature." He said. Getting up, he sighed and said, "Now let us leave the questions there, I need hardly impress upon you the urgency for sleep. After all, term starts early the next morning, and I expect you all to attend, much like the past six years. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to take my leave."   
He bent over Jaimie, and placed a wizened hand upon her shoulder, "Jaimie, please do not feel that you are alone in this. I shall do well to remind you the wonderful friends you have surrounded yourself with, and the fact the my presence should not be overlooked, please feel free to come and see me if you so desire." He smiled genially down upon her, and she nodded, the tears threatening to spill once more.   
He walked to the door, and took one last glance at the group within, tipped his pointed hat and said, "Good night to you all." and he disappeared through the corridor.   
Dumbledore's departure left the five teenagers in silence. No one knew what to say, or do, so they didn't do anything. When five minutes had passed, and still no one spoke, Sirius took the chance.   
"Um, I've run away from home." He said, so randomly Jaimie stared suspriciously at him on his lap.   
"What?" Remus asked, disbelief in his voice.   
"I've run away from home. James' parents are going to let me spend holidays at their house, until I can get on my feet."   
"Why?" Lily asked.   
"My parents are jackasses. Their wands are so high up their asses, they'll need the tongs to get them out."   
"At least you have parents." Jaimie replied, sadly.   
The air became awkward. Jaimie looked as if she was about ready to cry once more, but she didn't, she had no more tears to shed, she was drained of all emotion. She felt numb, and disoriented, and felt lost. Sirius looked at her solemnly and said, "Anything you want to say? Its not good to keep your emotiongs bottled up." He said.   
"No. I think I'll go to bed."   
"Are you-"   
"I'm sure." Jaimie interjected.   
She pulled back the blanket on the bed, and settled herself inside, and pretended to go to sleep. Sirius, Remus and James stood around for a time, but eventually they left; Sirius and James back to James' house, and Remus to his room next door. Lily had seen them out, before returning to the room. She opened her mouth to say something to comfort her friend, but knew no words could console the pain that Jaimie was feeling, so instead, settled herself in bed, and fell asleep.   
Jaimie lay in bed that night, fully awake, thinking about what Dumbledore said, and thinking about what was going to happen to her. She felt exhausted, but tried hard not to sleep, for fear that the sight of her family's lifeless bodies would haunt her dreams. But despite her restraint, her fatigue had won, and she fell into a surprisingly dreamless sleep.   
The next morning, she was awoken by Remus' voice, and the smell of toast in the air. For a fleeting and relieved moment, she thought that yesterday's events were a dream. That her family really wasn't dead, and that Dominique would be rushing about the house complaining to them how late they were. But to her utter disappointment, she found she was wrong. She found herself in the room at the Leaky Cauldron, Lily dragging her trunk down, and came back in and took Jaimie's trunk in turn. She tried her best to be as cheerful as possible for Jaimie's sake, and Jaimie tried her best as well. As she got dressed and took the buttered toast that Remus had held for her, she wondered how they were to get to King's Cross, _Dad was usually the one to take us-,_ She paused. Thinking about him was much too painful, and so stopped. Instead she preoccupied herself with her appearance on the mirror. But she too stopped this, her resemblance to her mother was even more pronounced by her absence.   
She stood in front of the mirror, and looked sadly upon her reflection. A single tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away. She straightened up and told her reflection firmly, "Be brave, you've still got Sirius and the others, and its like Dumbledore said, They're not really gone, they're inside me, living in me." The words had come, though she half heartedly believe it. But still, they were gone, and mourning them would do no good and wishing that things were different would not help her continue with her life. "They're not truly gone." She said, steadily.   
"That's it, dear." The mirror replied wheezily back.   
Just then, Remus appeared out of breath and peeked in, "Its time to go, come on." She walked to the door and paused, Remus stood there, wringing his hands, and opening and closing his mouth, as if trying to say something, "I-" He began, but thought better to continue, and then had a change of heart and said, "I'm sorry Jaimie, about what happened." He gave her a hug, and held her at arms length.   
"Are you going to be ok?" He asked, kindly.   
"I'll manage," She gave him a smile, it was a weak one, but knowing that she could do that he was relieved, and continued down the handsome staircase ahead of Jaimie.   
Jaimie paused, a little amused at the tried conversation.   
"Remus," She called.   
He turned to her politely puzzled, as she followed him to the stairs and hugged him, "I love you, too."   
From between Jaimie's arms, Remus smiled contently, and hugged her back, happily. Remus untangled himself and said, "Come on, or we'll be late." He walked down the stairs leading Jaimie down, where Lily and her Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan stood, looking completely healthy. When they had caught sight of Jaimie, they had come charging toward her and pulled her into a tight hug, Aunt Charlene fussing over her, crying hard all the time and Uncle Alan checking to see if anything was wrong. When she had reassured them she was all right, they stood back and Aunt Charlene wiped her eyes with a checkered handkerchief and said, "Jaimie, you know your parents appointed us your guardian should anything, well, happen to them. So if you want, you can come live with us."   
Jaimie nodded, and thanked them, though she hardly felt the need to.   
So with that out of the way, the five of them had gotten into an old fashioned dark green car, and sped off to King's Cross.   
When they arrived, Uncle Alan had summoned carts to carry their things, and headed of to platform nine and three-quarters. One by one they disappeared through the invisible barrier and reappeared on platform nine and three-quarters, a hidden platform where the students of Hogwarts School of Witchccraft and Wizardry would board to get to the castle. When Jaimie, Lily and Remus had secured a compartment, they bid Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan good-bye from the window.   
"Write! We'll keep your house clean, so when you get back for summer holidays we can get down to moving your things!" Aunt Charlene called.   
"Okay!" Jaimie said, though she did not mean it. She did not want a single item touched in her house. She wanted it to stay that way, to keep it as a sort of shrine, a memorial for her family and their life before things had changed so suddenly.   
Just then, a warning bell had erupted from the train, and it slowly started to move. The parents who were standing on the platform, started waving good-bye to the train until they turned the corner and were out of sight.   
Jaimie sat looking out at the neat houses that they past. The sky was a complete blue, not a cloud in the sky. She looked at it calmly, as people came by their compartment and said hi, occasionally coming in and saying their apologies to Jaimie or giving her a hug, before going on their merry way. Sirius, James and Peter had shown up in their compartment, all three of them carrying their trunks on their shoulders as if they were weightless and came in,stowing their trunks in the racks above their heads. Sirius sat next to Jaimie and put an arm around her shoulder, Jaimie promptly putting her head on his shoulder as he stroked her head gently. James had tried sitting next to Lily again, and once more she did not mind, but engaged in conversation with him (which was a miracle indeed for Lily despised James). Remus sat in the seat opposite Jaimie and looked out the window, occasionally talking to Sirius about a few things, and Peter sat next to James and stared open mouth at him. Around noon, the witch with the cart of candy came by asking if they needed anything. Sirius, Remus and James each bought a fair amount and shared it with the others. At one point, their conversation turned to the Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. They had to tell Peter about the whole thing from the start since he wasn't there. They were wondering loudly to the others the identity of the Death Eaters, when they had a far from welcoming surprise.   
The compartment door slid open so forcefully it bounced back a few moments. There standing in the corridor stood Damion Malfoy, looking very haughty and disdainful, next to him stood a greasy haired, hooked nosed Severus Snape and on his other side was a broad shouldered boy that Jaimie had only seen a couple times. They stood in the corridor for a minute, James and Snape stared daggers at each other, the look of complete repugnance pronounced on each face.   
"What do you want Malfoy?" Sirius growled.   
"Nothing to do with you Black." He said, as he swept inside, Snape and the other boy did not follow him. He walked up to Jaimie and Sirius, and forced himself between them, amid the indignant cries of Sirius and Jaimie.   
"What the hell, Malfoy?!" Sirius spat, standing up.   
Damion placed an arm around Jaimie, who stood up as well, next to Sirius. The others followed suit, ready to hold anyone back in case a fight would ensue. Snape and the nameless boy swept in, on either side of Damion.   
"What do you want Damion?" Jaimie asked, calmly, she still wore the bracelet around her wrist, the bruise he had given her not disappearing yet.   
"I just wanted to see how you were. I heard about what happened at Diagon Alley yesterday, and was completely outraged." He drawled, not looking as if he'd meant any of what he said.   
"I'll be fine, now can you please leave." She placed an arm around Sirius' waist, not to show off but to keep him from lunging at Damion.   
"I also wanted to say how sorry I was for being such a complete idiot, and to tell you that I am ready to take you back."   
At this Sirius stepped forward, Remus and James had to grabb his arms to stop him from hitting Damion, and since he couldn't touch him he only said, "You better be glad that these two are holding me back, Malfoy, if they didn't you wouldn't have been recognizable from a mandrake."   
"A worthy threat I'm sure, but, like I said, this has nothing to do with you, Black. You're not worth my time."   
"Sirius!" Jaimie said, pleadingly. She tightened her grip around his waist as he made another attempt at dive at Damion, but was held back once more. Damion turned to Jaimie, unfazed at Sirius' foiled attacks, and said, "I'll talk to you another time, when your not so preoccupied." He kissed Jaimie on the cheek, and she returned it by wiping it off with her sleeve. He smiled disdainfully at her, took one look at Sirius, who was trying harder than ever to try to get at Damion, and swept out of the compartment, Snape hissing back dangerously, "Watch out, Potter, or you might find yourself in a very compromising sitiuation."   
They disappeared, and Sirius relaxed, Remus and James finally releasing their death grip on him. Unconsciously, Lily had been clutching James' shoulders, until her knuckles turned white, James, turning to Lily, noticed this, and looked to her with a slightly confused, slightly amused smile. Pulling a face, Lily let go of him, and sat down.   
Jaimie's heart was pounding. _Sirius had very nearly gotten to Damion, and Damion seems to not have changed, in fact he seems even more _happy_ than two days ago._ She thought to herself. Everyone had resumed their seats before the arrival of Malfoy, Snape and the nameless boy. Sirius, placed an arm around Jaimie, and was looking very formidable indeed. Trying to lighten the mood, Peter, who had been standing behind Lily during the three boys' visit, said with awe, "Sirius you looked like you were ready to tear him limb from limb."   
"I was about ready to. He kissed you on the cheek?" He asked, turning to Jaimie, who had resumed looking out the window.   
"Yeah, it was like having a kiss by a . . . a block of ice. There was no emotion or anything. And his eyes, they were scary." She said, looking at Sirius, who smiled warmly at her.   
"But Padfoot, mate, that was scary. We had to bolt your feet to the floor to keep you from hitting that idiot." James said, smiling slightly.   
"Yeah, you were like a _dog_." Remus said, his eyes twinkling.   
Sirius, James and Remus all laughed at this, Peter looked indifferent and Jaimie and Lily looked at the scene with growing confusion.   
"I don't see what's so funny." Jaimie said.   
"Inside joke, don't worry about it." Remus said, after he stopped laughing.   
"That's nice." Jaimie said, sarcastically.   
Sirius gave her a kiss on the cheek, the left one; the right had been kissed by Damion, and he smiled to himself. She lay her head against the compartment wall, and stared out the window again. The view had now changed to rolling hills, and ice capped mountains in the distance. They all were looking out the window, as no one was saying anything.   
"We must be nearly there." Lily pointed out.   
"Yeah, we should be there in an hour or two." Remus said, checking his watch.   
Just like the first part of the trip, the last part was just as quiet. Though James and Lily were both acting warmly to each other. Jaimie suspected that since he had been there for Jaimie the day before, that he wasn't as bad as he seemed.   
Finally, the voice of the conductor sounded from the front of the train, announcing that they were five minutes from arriving at the station, and that their things were to be left in the train as they were to be taken up seperately. Jaimie heard the rumble of a stomach, and only then realized how hungry she was. The only thing she had eaten all the day was the toast that Remus had offered her, and she wasn't hungry then either, and she declined to eat the candy that the others had selflessly shared. The train had started to slow down, and in a few minutes came to a jolting stop. They all stood up, and flocked to the compartment door, and out of the train. They looked around for the horseless carriages, and spotting them, walked toward them. Lily, James, Peter and an unknown person climbed into one carriage while Sirius, Jaimie and Remus climbed into another. One of Jaimie's friends had entered the carriage with them and was surprised to see that Damion was not with her.   
"Where's Damion?" She asked, a bit confused.   
"I don't know, and I prefer it that way." Jaimie replied stiffly.   
Of course she knew that people were going to start noticing that she had broken up with Damion. She also knew that people were going to say bad things about her since she was Sirius now, though unofficially. But she also didn't care, ever since her break up with Damion she cared less for what they said about her. She didn't even bother to hide her nonchalance when her friend had tried to make conversation with her. The girl decided that talking to Jaimie was like talking to a horse and so she quit and just stared out the carriage window moodily.   
When they had arrived at the castle, she quickly seperated herself from their group and did not make an appearance to her all through the night. She noticed her friends had not bothered talking to her and surmised that the girl had warned them not to. So she spent the start of term feast with Lily, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter, and prefered it this way.   
The sorting had ended, and the golden platters and goblets that stood in front of each person was filled with and everyone started taking a bit of each. Jaimie, who was hungry, only ate a bit, she didn't feel much like eating, even though her stomach was empty. Worried, Lily filled her plate with potatoes chicken, roast beef and dinner rolls and forced her to eat the lot.   
When the magical golden plates and goblets had emptied themselves of food, Dumbledore stood up, resplendent in robes of blue with yellow stars and moons upon the fabric, he made his usual start of term speech.   
"Now that we have stuffed ourselves with enough food and drink, please excuse an old man for making a few announcements. First years should note that the Forbidden Forest on the grounds are as the name implies, forbidden. Our older students should kindly do well to remember that as well.   
"Second, I should like you all to be aware of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Dijon and Ms. Dominique Dijon, who was a student among our masses. Whatever story you have heard, I am here to tell you of the truth. They were not killed by accident, or by a dangerous animal, but by a powerful wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort." Whispering erupted from throughout the halls as he said this, but unfazed he continued.   
"Let us have a moment of silence to remember these great people." The hall became quiet. Sirius had placed a supporting hand on Jaimie's back, and held his head down. Jaimie felt her eyes water, but the tears did not come. She looked around the halls to find all of the students bow their heads in respect. Her heart swelled to twice its size, as this very kind gesture was made. And then Dumbledore looked up, and continued, "They will forever be in our hearts.   
"Now, could the prefects please escort the first years to their respectful dormitories. Have a good new term."   
With that everyone got up from their seats and filed past the two doors and into a hallway. Jaimie, Sirius, James and Peter, excluding Remus and Lily as they were prefects, trekked the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower and stopped in front of a painting of a large woman in a pink dress. She had a stern face, and when they had approached, she said, "Password please."   
Jaimie looked at Sirius with a blank expression, who looked back just as emptily. They didn't know the password yet. Luckily, Remus and Lily arrived with the group of first years, and said that the password was "Venemous Tentacula."   
The portrait of the Fat Lady swung forward promptly to revealed a large hole that opened into the Gryffindor common room. It was a large room that was filled with tables,chairs and large comfy recliners by a blazing fire. Sirius led the way inside, Jaimie, Lily, Remus and the group of first years following his suit.   
Sirius gave Jaimie a good-night kiss on the cheek before seeing her climb the the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory.   
Jaimie opened the door to the familiar room with its four four-posters, crimson hangings around each bed, trunks laid at the ready at the end. She found hers, and pulled back the covers just as Lily walked in, feet dragging and eyes drooping.   
They changed into their pajamas in silence, before they both went to bed, pulling their hangings shut. Jaimie managed to hear Lily's greeting of good night before drifting instantly into sleep.   


* * *

  
_A/N: Sorry that this chapter took so long. I had a particularly hard time finding a suitable song for this chapter. Thanks to those who have reviewed, you brighten my day!_


	5. Memory

**Memory**   
**** ****

_Midnight_   
_Not a sound from the pavement_   
_Has the moon lost her memory_   
_She is smiling alone_   
_In the lamplight_   
_The withered leaves collect at my feet_   
_And the wind begins to moan_   
_Memory, all alone in the moonlight_   
_I can dream of the old days_   
_Life was beautiful then_   
_I remember the time I knew what happiness was_   
_Let the memory live again_   
_Every street lamp seems to beat_   
_A fatalistic warning_   
_Someone mutters and the street lamp sputters_   
_Soon it will be morning_   
  


Later that night, Jaimie awoke very suddenly from a very vivid dream whose details were slipping her. She was slightly sweating, and her blankets were snaked around her in twists. She sat up and looked around the room. All around her was still dark, and the moon, nearly full, shone brightly through the windows. Instantly she thought of Remus. _He'll be transforming soon,_ She thought. She felt parched, and got up and poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher on the window sill. She gulped down the water and went back to her bed. She tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't for the life of her, so instead, she went down to the common room and checked the time. It was four a.m in the morning.   
She went to the comfy arm chairs near the fireplace, its embers dying slowly, and stared pensively into the ebbing flames. She curled up on her seat and closed her eyes, remembering fondly once when her parents had bought marshmallows and sat around their fireplace roasting them. She sighed, and leaned back in her seat. Suddenly, the portrait of the fat lady swung open and she turned to see who could possibly be wandering around the castle at four in the morning.   
No one was there. Slightly put off, Jaimie stood up and called, "Who's there?"   
No one answered, and not a thing stirred. Instead she heard shuffling, and a whispered argument, though it was impossible to tell who or what was arguing, all she knew was that there was more than one. She walked to the hole and stood, her arms crossed, looking around the seemingly empty common room. The whispering and the shuffling had stopped, and silence greeted her.   
After a while she shrugged and presumed it was peeves or one of the ghosts and went back up the stairs to her dormitory, not wanting to be caught out and about. She was at the bottom of the stairs to the girls' dormitories, when her arm was grabbed by someone from behind.   
She shrieked, and instantly had a hand placed around her mouth, another slid around her middle. She tried to see who it was and saw it was Sirius, Remus and James, who had stuffed something in the boys' staircase. Her eyes widened in surprise as the scene unfolded itself.   
"Shh." Sirius cooed, and he let go of Jaimie .   
Jaimie placed a hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat, which was going a mile a minute. "Don't do that! You scared the crap out of me! Next time just say my name or something."   
Sirius nodded, and gave a weak smile. Even in the early hours of the morning he was still attractive. But wait-what would he and Remus and James be doing at this time?   
"What are you doing out at this time?" She voiced her thought.   
"We couldn't sleep." Remus said simply.   
"What are you doing?" Sirius asked her.   
"I couldn't sleep either." Jaimie replied, crossing her arms once more. She didn't think the boys needed to see more than they could in her pajamas.   
She heard movement on the girls' staircase behind her and looked back. Lily, and their other two room mates Jennifer Hannel and Rita Lesley came walking down the stairs, putting on robes and yawning sleepily.   
"Jaimie? What are you doing down here?" Lily paused, as she saw Sirius, Remus and James standing stiffly behind her best friend.   
"What's going on?" Lily asked slowly.   
"Are you going man hunting at this time?" Rita asked, acting flirtatious at the sight of the three boys.   
"No! I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake any of you up, so I came in here. But then I heard some shuffling and some people arguing, and I thought it was a ghost or something. I didn't want to get caught out of bed so I came up here, and then they showed up." Jaimie explained, a bit annoyed.   
"Uh huh, a likely story." Jennifer said, an amused glint in her eye.   
"Hey, Jaimie we heard you broke up with Damion, and now your up with three guys. Moving on kind of fast aren't you?" Rita asked.   
"Hey, Rita, just because you have a hard time getting what you want, doesn't mean Jaimie can't!" Jennifer accused, looking at Remus unnecessarily.   
"Hey, I'll have you know that I worked hard to get Jaimie and Damion-"   
"Shut up all of you!" Lily interjected.   
Rita crossed her arms in indignation and turned the other way.   
"Okay, let's just all get to bed, and talk tomorrow. Come on, Jaimie; Sirius, Remus and James good night. See you tomorrow and on and on." Lily said, pulling Jaimie along.   
Jaimie followed reluctantly and Rita and Jennifer after them, quietly.   
When they had gotten to their dormitory, they all crawled into bed wordlessly and three of four girls instantly fell back to sleep. Jaimie sat up thinking about Rita and Jennifer's argument. _Oh boy, tomorrow's going to be a long day._ She rolled over, and tried to go to sleep. 

The next day Jaimie woke up as the sun hit her face. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw that it was morning. Sleepily she pulled her blanket off and struggled to get herself up. She looked to her roommate's beds and found them empty. She glanced briefly at her bedside clock and saw that it was seven in the morning. So getting dressed in her Hogwarts uniform she went down into the common room to see if her friends had left her. They were waiting for her to wake up in the common room. When she made her appearance, they turned to her and said, "'Morning!"   
She nodded, and yawned. She was still very sleepy, not getting her usual amount of sleep.   
"We were going to come wake you, but we thought you would want more sleep." Lily said, from her seat on the sofa.   
"Well, then, should we go to the Great Hall for some breakfast then?" James asked them cheerily.   
Jaimie still wasn't up to being happy. Or normal, she didn't think she could ever be normal. So wordlessly, she followed the four boys and Lily to the Great Hall. Remus slowed down a bit and walked side by side with Jaimie so they could talk.   
"Do you feel okay?" Remus asked.   
"Yeah, I feel fine." Jaimie replied, trying to be cheerful.   
She remembered that tonight was the night of the full moon, and looked straight into Remus' face. He was pale and seemed preoccupied. He didn't look well at all. _Well, that's obvious._ She thought bitterly   
"Remus, you alright?" Jaimie whispered to him.   
"Yeah, well besides the fact since you know. . . I'm really starving, we have to be so far away from the Great Hall." He grumbled aloud. Sirius turned his head around and laughed, and slowed down so he could walk one Jaimie's other side. He placed an arm around her shoulder, and she returned the gesture by putting an arm around his waist. He smiled reassuringly down at her and said, "You okay?"   
"I'll be fine." She replied.   
He pinned her to him, and her face met his chest. Her nostrils filling with that godly cologne. She pushed him away and slapped his shoulder.   
"Your evil, I don't like you anymore! I'm going with Peter now!" She walked away from Sirius and took Peter by the arm. Peter smiled nervously at the girl who had clamped herself on him. They were both the same height, and it was a relief, for she didn't need to look up at him. His face flushed as Jaimie looked him in the eyes. The smallest of the Marauders was deprived of many things, and having the attention, let alone the arm, of a girl was one of them, the attention went mostly to the others who were overall better than him. His knees gave a nasty wobble, as Jaimie's penetrating stare had not wavered and Sirius came hurrying up, and took Jaimie off Peter's hands. Sirius smiled at Jaimie and said, "Thanks for saving her Pete!"   
They went ahead of the group, which had suddenly been increased in number, as a group of Jaimie's and Lily's friends appeared out of the corner and started flirting and talking with James and Remus, Peter standing quite a ways back. But she could not avoid it, rumors at Hogwarts had spread nastily fast, and she soon found herself surrounded by the friends she was supposed to meet at Diagon Alley, asking the same questions.   
"Where were you on twenty-ninth? We were waiting for you guys, but only Lily showed. We were really worried." A curly blonde haired girl named Haley asked.   
"Yeah we thought you'd ditched us."   
"Yes, and what happened to you and Damion? Rita said that you guys had broken up." Said a tall and curvy black girl named Chantel   
"They did." Sirius answered for her.   
"But why? You guys were so good together." Said one girl that they could not see.   
"Well it may have seemed that we were destined to you, but we're not. Obviously, now please, can you just leave me alone? Go tell everyone that we really are broken up so no once can approach me anymore!" Jaimie burst.   
The pack of girls stopped abruptly and put as much distance between themselves and Jaimie, no doubt talking about her sudden outburst. But Jaimie didn't care, let them talk. Sirius led her to the Great Hall, and to a spot a little ways away from other people at the Gryffindor table. He plopped himself next to her and started piling food upon his plate. Jaimie was following his lead as the others had come in, James looking annoyed, Remus looking weary and pale and Peter just as quiet and out of place, as usual. Lily was the only one who looked normal at all, and sat down on Jaimie's other side, spearing a sausage onto her plate. Lily was about to say something when a loud rustling noise could be heard overhead, and Jaimie looked up to see hundreds of owls flutter down to their owners, carrying packages or a letter. She returned to her breakfast when an owl had dropped a letter each in front of Jaimie and Remus.   
Jaimie opened her letter, and out fluttered two square pieces of white paper, she opted to read the letter first. 

Dear Jaimie 

How's your first day back? I hope it wasn't too   
horrible. I'm just sending off some things that I think   
you might have wanted from the house. I hope you   
have a good day! 

Love from,   
Aunt Charlene 

She picked up the two square papers and found, to her surprise, they were photographs. One was of her family and Remus' last year when they had taken a trip to America. They were at the beach, Aunt Charlene and her mom were busy laying down under the shade of an umbrella, talking animatedly, her uncle and father played magical horseshoes, where the pegs they were aiming for were moving targets, while Remus and herself were out by the water, Dominique was flirting with a boy, and promptly walked out of the side of the picture. She smiled inwardly to herself, as she remembered the trip fondly, and picked up the next picture.   
This time it was a picture of her family, this one taken at a much longer time ago. Dominique seemed to be eleven in the picture, herself ten, as they stood around a pyramid. They were all four sunburned, and freckley, but happy.   
Jaimie stared at the pictures, nostalgia filling her. Remus bent over the table and asked her, "What does yours say?"   
"Nothing really important, just asking me how my first day back was. And they've given my some pictures."   
She handed Remus both of the photos and he laughed as he saw the one at the beach.   
"I remember this! Dominique had such a sunburn!" Remus laughed reminiscently. He held both pictures casually in his hands, leaving Sirius free to take them. He looked it over and smiled widely, he looked back at Jaimie and said, "You don't look bad in a bathing suit." He eyed her mischievously   
Jaimie turned to him, confused and saw that Sirius was looking at the picture interestedly, she tried to take it from him, but couldn't. James looked over his shoulder at the picture and his mouth cracked into a grin as wide and as evil as his best friends'.   
"Yeah you don't look half bad!" James said, turning his head as Jaimie made another swipe at it.   
"Watch it, Potter." Sirius said, joking with James.   
"Sirius." Jaimie said reprovingly, shaking her head.   
When Sirius had finally relented, and given the photo back to Jaimie, Lily took them, and looked at them pensively.   
"Where and when was this?"   
"California, last year." Remus said, thickly. His mouth was full of cold cereal.   
"Oh, you look positively smashing Remus." Lily commented.   
Remus turned a shade of pink, and James glowered. Finally, when Jaimie had gotten both of her photos back she placed them carefully into her Defense Against the Dark Arts book.   
Just then, Professor McGonagall, the formidable twenty-something head of Gryffindor house, was walking up and down the Gryffindor table and handing out schedules for the day. Jaimie had taken hers and looked it over. Her first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, she was relieved, she liked Defense Against the Dark Arts, except their current teacher, Professor Riley, an irritable Irish drunk who was as mean as his hair was curly and red. Her next class was Transfiguration with Professor Mcgonagall who was as strict as she appeared, then she had lunch break, and after that they had double Potions.   
She sighed, today seemed like a day for hard work. She would soon find that she wasn't wrong.   
When she stepped into the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Lily by her side, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter after them, the teacher was not inside the class at their arrival, but they took their seats nonetheless. Jaimie sat down near the back of the class, and Sirius automatically took her side. Lily took her other side, and James, for one indecisive moment, took the seat next to Lily. Having recovered her less than mutual feelings toward him, she sniffed slightly but did not protest against his presence. Remus took the seat in front of Jaimie, and Peter beside James. The other students filed in and took their seats. Once every seat in the class had been filled, the teacher entered the class a briefcase in hand, and laid it down on his desk, not taking the seat, but placing his hands on his desk and leaning on them.   
"We have in our hands, another school year. And what can I say, but that next year you will take the N.E.W.T.'s, as you all know, the N.E.W.T.'s are the highest qualification that Hogwarts can give you. Much studying is required in order to pass this test. So, let me be the first and only person to tell you that, may the endless torture begin." He smiled maliciously around the class.   
"Well, wands out, this lesson will be a practical one." He ordered the class harshly.   
So the class as a whole rummaged their bags or pockets and produced their wands.   
"Well I'm glad we could all do that effortlessly, now please stand up and follow me. Now when we're walking in the halls, keep your mouths shut because other classes are in session, we don't want to disturb them. Is that clear?"   
"Yes, sir." The class responded, devoid of any emotion.   
Sirius smiled at James, and at Remus, who shrugged, and pointed to his prefect badge. Sirius frowned in mock disappointment.   
Jaimie stood up and followed the herding class slowly out of the solitary door and followed Riley's curly red head to wherever he would take them. Jaimie and Lily walked wordlessly in the back of the group with Sirius and James bringing up the rear, hexing and cursing things and people as they walked. Remus walked, alongside them, his fingers massaging his temples lightly, his eyes open in a pained look. Peter watched the duo, sniggering uncontrollably, as they made the floor behind them slick and slippery, turned people's hair different colors, and wrote messages behind people's backs ordering others to kick them, or suggesting that the person which had the sign on them was a troll or something or other.   
Oblivious to the fact that Sirius and James were doing this, Jaimie and Lily noticed many girls' skirts suddenly flutter upward, as if an unfelt wind was coming up from the ground, the girls hastily stopping the skirts from riding further. Jaimie and Lily looked bewildered at each other, and looked back at the two boys, who were now talking animatedly to each other, wands away. When Sirius and James noticed that the two girls were looking back at them, they waved cheerily, and caught up to them. Sirius putting his arm around Jaimie's shoulders nonchalantly and James trying to persuade a skeptical Lily that he had not done any of those things.   
They quickly turned their conversation to other subjects, when one girl had suddenly noticed the alteration to her appearance. Professor Riley turned around swiftly and placed a finger to his lips, stifling their voices.   
"What did I tell you, Miss Bardoe, about walking in the hallways?" He looked at the girl's hair which was once a shiny blond, but was now a neon green.   
Exasperated, Professor Riley flicked his wand and her hair turned to its normal color. "Foolish girl! Do not shriek when you change your hair color to one that is undesirable. For I am sure that no matter what you do, it will still be hideous."   
Virginia Bardoe's eyes watered angrily, but she did not retaliate.   
Professor Riley glanced at Rita Lesley briefly, and did a double take. For what was once smooth skin was now covered in angry, purplish-red boils. Rita tried to touch her face, but was obviously afraid it would do much worse.   
"Professor!" She pleaded helplessly.   
"Go to the hospital wing, Miss Lesley, Miss Hart kindly escort her to the hospital wing. If I ever found out who has done this, I will personally make sure that they get detention for the rest of the year."   
The two girls hurriedly headed for the opposite direction, toward Riley's classroom, and disappeared around the corner, but their shrieks of surprise could be heard even so. Professor Riley said urgently, "Stay put, if any of you do anything, you will have me to see to."   
He walked briskly toward the girl's direction, disappearing around the corner. When the professor had gone, the class had begun to murmur in silence. Others noticed the rude signs on people's backs and removed them. Jaimie and Lily rounded on Sirius and James and began scolding them in hushed voices.   
"I can't believe you! And in Professor Riley's class, too! You two can be so bull-headed sometimes, can't you ever think of other people's feelings?" Lily chided.   
"Yeah? What could possess you to turn Virginia's hair neon green?" Jaimie asked, incredulously.   
Sirius and James stood sheepishly in front of the girls. They were taller than both of them, and it was quite a comical sight to see them looking downcast. Peter was trying mightily to stifle his sniggering, and was looking expectantly at James and Sirius, Remus looked interestedly at the four of them.   
". . . And no one deserves to get boils as bad as Rita's! What were you thinking?!" Lily continued.   
"But she was spreading rumors about Jaimie and Damion, and the stupid git tried to snog Sirius last year, and _now_ she's interested in Remus. If anyone deserved our tricks it was her." James returned.   
The arguing stopped, James and Lily glared at each other so dangerously, Jaimie could feel heat rising from the both of them from her spot.   
"James, thank you for that kind gesture, but I'm sure I can take whatever that girl has got to say, and Remus is a big boy, he can take care of himself." Jaimie said calmly.   
Neither Sirius nor James could not think of a reply to this, and were saved from having to as Professor Riley had just appeared, his curly red hair askew. His mouth was turned in an upside down crescent and his eyebrows were so close together, it seemed as if they were one.   
He approached James and Sirius, and leered at them. "A month's worth of detention for both of you, and fifty points each from Gryffindor." He spat.   
"WHAT?!" Sirius and James both said in unison.   
"You know exactly what you did, Black, Potter. Don't give me those innocent looks."   
"I'm sorry, Professor, but I don't know what you are talking about." James said, crossing his arms.   
"I'm quite sure you know exactly what you did. Give me your wands."   
"Why?"   
"Give them to me before I dock more points from you house, and give you a year's worth of detention."   
Reluctantly, Sirius and James handed over their wands, and said, "_Priori Incantato!" _He pointed his wand to the tip of James', and out of the the tip of it, came a black and white hologram model of a grimy cauldron that had cleaned itself instantly.   
Undaunted, Professor Riley handed James' wand back with a skeptical look, then repeated the process with Sirius' wand. Out of it came a glass that had broken and was repairing itself. He handed Sirius the wand back, who was trying to supress a look of satisfaction on his face. Peter was sweating profusely behind Remus, who had his hands in his pockets, eyeing the sitiuation with complete attention.   
Professor Riley's look of uncertainty disappeared and he said, "I guess I was wrong."   
"So does that mean we get back our points and our freedom?" James asked, sounding offhand.   
Professor Riley grunted, and Jaimie took that as a sign of agreement.   
He walked to the front of the class and said, "Whoever did those things got lucky today. Do not feel so lucky next time." He led them around the corner and into an empty classroom.   
Jaimie shot Sirius a look of uncertainty. Sirius smiled at her and said, "Remy gave me his wand." He smiled mischievously at her, and Jaimie rolled her eyes as she went into the classroom. 

An hour later, they emerged from the empty classroom, very sore. They had been practicing stunning, and the lesson had not gone painless. Practicing the Stunning Spell included live subjects to practice on in order to see the result, in their case it was each other. Since Sirius did not want to harm Jaimie, she partnered with Lily, Professor Riley had placed pillows all around the room, to ease the fall a bit, and they worked for the large part, but once you were stunned, you didn't have much choice on which direction you landed. Jaimie and Lily had very little difficulty with the spell, as well as Sirius, James and Remus. They had it right on their first try. Poor Peter, his aim was so poor that he had hit a formidable looking Ravenclaw, and when he had roused him, the Ravenclaw loomed menacingly over him. Sirius fended off the Ravenclaw as Peter stuttered an apology.   
So Jaimie limped carefully out of the classroom, Lily wincing with every step she took. The boys were much better off, save Peter, who was looking over his shoulder in paranoia. They headed to their right and down the stairs for their next class, which was Transfiguration. To Jaimie's great relief, the infliction of pain was not necessary, though they were set to the difficult task of transfiguring their tadpoles into frogs. Jaimie had always managed to do satisfactorily in this class, but the task was much harder than before.   
So it was to her relief that they had exited the Transfiguration class to lunch. She set off for the Great Hall, Lily still limping heavily next to her   
Jaimie sighed, and muttered, "This is the most painful first day back."   
Lily sighed too, "Yeah, and its not like its an O.W.L. year either, and N.EW.T.S are still a year away. I suppose that I'd have to set up funeral arrangements for next year." She smiled.   
Jaimie gave a sniff. Lily, completely shocked at what she had spoken off, hastily added, "I'm sorry, Jaimie, I didn't mean to-I would never-"   
"Its alright Lily, honestly, I'm fine." She said, smiling but looked more like a grimace.   
She sat down, and placed a few things on her plate, but did not eat any of it. 

Later that night, as Jaimie and Lily crawled into bed, the faint smell of frog intestine lingering in the room, as they had to use them in today's potion, Jaimie took the pictures from her Defense Against the Dark Arts book. She looked them over, in her bed, her hangings pulled around her so no one would see. She silently remembered the trip to the beach, and whispered, "Good night Mum, Dad, Dominique. I hope you guys are happy where you are."   
She placed the photos on her bedside table, propping them against an unlit candle and fell asleep. 

Jaimie opened her eyes and found herself, in her pajamas, standing on the beach the day the photo was taken. She saw her mother beckoning her forward, and her father smiling placidly at her, cooking something on the grill. Dominique had her arms folded and was saying something, though she could not hear her. Jaimie took a step forward, and smiled to herself. They're alive, they're right over there! I just need to take a few steps and we'll be together again. Jaimie walked slowly toward them, unaware that with each step she took, the sand and the water would be replaced with a building or a store. The sand would turn to cobblestone steps, and people would appear mysteriously, draped in brown blankets, clutching large amounts of chocolate. Their eyes hollow with grief. Finally when she was within five feet of them, she stopped. She was no longer at the beach, but in Diagon Alley. In front of her, she could the bodies of her family disappearing slowly, as if they were a mirage.   
Jaimie fell to her knees, and placed her face in her hands, and cried loudly. For the happy images that were her mother, father and sister were replaced by unmoving images of three bodies, dressed in robes, on the cobblestone street. People ran about in mayhem, Minsitry wizards draped in shadow coming closer to the scene. A cloaked and hooded figure was standing menacingly over the still bodies, laughing a cold and mirthless laugh that penetrated Jaimie's skin and surged in her blood, fogging her brain. Behind this evil entity stood countless dozens of people, also hooded, faces obscured, standing as if under the control of the laughing individual.   
Jaimie yelled aloud, but could not hear it, and her eyes snapped open. She found that she was lying on the ground, her blanket pulled taut under her. She looked out of the window at the moon, which was a full orb in the sky, shining with a sickly light. She glanced around the other beds, and noticed that her roommates were still asleep. So she got up, and placed the blanket on her bed, but did not bother to do so herself. Instead she went out of the dormitory, and into the common room. She relit the embers of the fire and stared at the flames moodily. Trying to think of what had happened in her dream. She remembered that she was at the beach with her family. Suddenly, they died and a man was standing over them, laughing evilly. Laughing because he had killed her family. She felt a strong upsurge of hatred well up inside her.   
Why would someone ever take pleasure in killing others. It was absurd! They were mental, it was just not right. _Well, I hope you're happy, Voldemort. You bastard, I hope you're happy, because you will pay. You'll pay for what you did. _She thought forcefully.   
The happy images of her family looming out of the darkness in her head.   
  


* * *

  
_A/N: Alrighty, I just thought to make it a point to name the songs that I've used so far. Most of them, you might know already, but some of them are . . . yeah ok._

_Chapter 1: I'm just a Girl _No Doubt   
_Chapter 2: A Whole New World _(I dunno know who sang it but its from Disney)   
_Chapter 3: Wherever You Will Go _The Calling   
_Chapter 4: Drops of Jupiter _Train   
_Chapter 5: Memory _Barry Manilow (He he) 

_I'll list the next five songs after the 10th chapter :). Thanks to those who read and reviewed. Please, don't stop!_


	6. Bury Me Down by the River

**Bury Me Down by the River**

_I wasn't born in the morning, no_   
_I must have been born in the night_   
_I've done my load and I'll carry my load_   
_And all I own is my life_

_I wasn't born to be lucky,_   
_'cause luck had no future with me_   
_I've done my wrong and I'll sing, sing, sing my song_   
_and stand beneath the hanging tree_

_Bury me down by the river_   
_Let all the towns people see_   
_Their enemy's dead, let me lay, lay my head_   
_Just put me down and set me free_   


Jaimie was never in a worse state. Since she did not get the right amount of sleep, for fear that her family would appear once more in her dreams. Consequently, her head would loll in class, her attention was often elsewhere, and to top things off, she was not eating. Her friends were getting extremely worried, and on many occasions could be seen forcing Jaimie to eat. But it wasn't enough. Because she lacked sleep and food, her studies suffered, which only fueled her friends' worry.   
Soon however, a month had passed since the death of her family, and her aunt and uncle had arranged a funeral ceremony. She and Remus would be leaving the first Saturday of October and returning late the next day. So, on Friday night, Jaimie could be seen, thin and weary, preparing her mourning dress and shoes in her dormitory, watched by Lily on her four-poster, holding a plate with a larg chicken leg and three dinner rolls, as Jaimie had not appeared during dinner.   
"Come on, eat Jaimie. You need it, your getting thinner and thinner. Eat." She forced the plate into Jaimie's hands, and looked so foreboding, that Jaimie was left with no choice but to eat it.   
When she had chewed the last piece of chicken and ate the last morself of bread, she swallowed and said, "Lily, I'm fine really. I feel, great." She said, though this was a downright lie, and she knew that Lily knew too.   
"You should go to sleep early tonight, too. You might feel tired." Lily suggested, looking away.   
"I don't feel-" Jaimie started, but soon closed her mouth, as she felt her eyes droop and fatigue wash over her sleepless body. "Yeah I think you're right. I'll finish this tomorrow, I still have time." She yawned as she dropped the dress on top of her trunk, and fell right on top of her bed. Not bothering to dress into her night clothes, Jaimie fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.   
Lily walked over to her dormant friend and waved a hand across her eyes, making sure she was not joking. Lily smiled and said, "Sorry, Jaimie, you need to sleep. You'll understand." Lily pulled the covers from under her best friend, and placed them over her, tucking in the ends. Silently, she finished the job which Jaimie had started and when she was done, went down to the common room to be with the boys.   
Sirius, James, Remus and Peter all sat stiffly in the best chairs by the fire, James saving Lily a seat. When Lily appeared, Sirius immediately asked, "Well, did it work?"   
"Yeah, I didn't expect her to eat all of it, but she did, and the Sleeping Draught worked." She said, sighing.   
"Good. Poor girl. She's always out here at night. Why do you reckon?" James wondered aloud.   
"Because, her parents are dead, you would probably be like that too." Remus said.   
"I hate Voldemort." Lily said, suddenly.   
Everyone murmured their agreement. Sirius sat quietly in his seat, staring pensively into the fire.   
"Sirius, what's wrong?" Remus asked, noting his friend's unusually quiet behavior.   
"I'm just thinking . . .," he said vaguely.   
"Are you serious? Sirius, thinking? I think that's a first!" James said, genuinely amazed.   
Lily gave James a reproving look before turning to Sirius, "About what?"   
"Just things . . .," He said, just as indistinctly.   
A group of giggling fourth year girls came by and eyed the boys coyly, and gave Lily a look of repulsion.   
"What things are those?" James pressed when the girls had finally gone by.   
"I think that Jaimie needs a pick me up." He said leaning over, propping his chin in his hands, his elbow on his upper thighs.   
"What do you have in mind?" Lily asked, immediately interested.   
"One that wouldn't involve any of you." He said, looking around.   
"But I'm her best friend-" Lily began.   
"Yes, and you've done enough for her as is, same for you Remus." He stopped Remus from uttering any words.   
"Well, what exactly are you-" James said, but Sirius stood up at the exact same moment, and said firmly, "I'm going to bed."   
The others watched as he went up the staircase to the boys' dormitory, without a word.   
"I don't like it, whatever he's planning." Remus said.   
"I think we should have a little faith in him. After all, he does care about Jaimie." James said, pointedly.   
"Yeah, but how is it different than all his other girlfriends?" Lily asked, skeptically.   
They all fell silent. There was a truth to what Lily said. Sirius was a very spur of the moment type of person, and he did have many girlfriends, all of whom never lasted this long. James was starting to realize what Lily and Remus was feeling.   
"If he hurts her," Lily said, threateningly to the three other boys, "I'll curse you so badly, you'll have extra arms growing out of your-"   
"We won't let Sirius do anything bad to her, I mean, your not the only one who cares about her." Remus said defensively.   
"Whatever, I'm going to bed." She stood up and took Sirius' lead. James eyeing her as she left.   
"What do you suppose they do in there?" James asked, as Lily's vivid red head disappeared up the stairs.   
Remus shrugged, and picked up a book that sat on the table. James turned to Peter who was just as empty as usual. Without Sirius to talk to, James just sat on his armchair, thinking about what Lily said. Ever since the death of Jaimie's parents, more deaths had been reported. But while James' family nor Peter's had yet been murdered, he still could not shake the image of Jaimie when he had seen her in the Leaky Cauldron, or of the state she was currently in. He remembered the unhappy faces he had to pass when they were at Diagon Alley, and he suddenly felt more wide awake than he had his entire life.   
It was a few minutes before the three boys decided to go to bed, James now understanding what it was like to be an adult and to have responsibilities for the first time. 

The next day dawned bright and early. But for the first time in days, Jaimie felt clear of mind. Perhaps because she had spent a full night of sleep in a month, or because she had eaten her first full meal in a while. She sat in bed, and immediately noticed the dress hanging at the end of her four poster, and the shoes next to her trunk. She looked toward Lily's four poster, its hangings drawn around them, though she knew Lily was in there sleeping soundlessly. It was a nice gesture, and did not go unappreciated. Deciding to let Lily sleep more, since it was a Saturday, she got up and walked to the bathroom to clean up. From her trunk she pulled a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and walked out of the dormitory into the almost empty common room.   
She pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and walked out into the brightly lit halls. She made her way through secret passages, and saw the large oak doors leading to the Great Hall, when she was stopped all of a sudden, by none other than Damion Malfoy. He had appeared right out of the corner, alone, barring Jaimie's way.   
"Hello, well look who it is. Jaimie, I haven't seen you in a while. And what's this? Where's Black and that mudblood friend of yours." He twirled a lock of her hair in his fingers playfully.   
"Don't call Lily a mudblood." Jaimie whispered menacingly, pulling her hair away from him.   
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I make you mad?" He asked, taking a step closer to Jaimie, who backed away.   
"What do you want Damion?" Jaimie asked, as Damion's eyes bore straight into her own.   
"Nothing much, just to tell you that I know about Remus' monthly walks." His eyes glittered dangerously, and his smiled grew sadistically.   
"What are you talking about?" Jaimie said, getting more frightened by the minute. Damion knew, he knew that Remus was a werewolf.   
"You know what I'm talking about." He said, running his finger down the length of her nose, and under her chin, pulling up her face.   
"No I don't." Jaimie said, defensively.   
"Oh, I'm sure you do, but don't worry," He bent down to her ear and whispered, "I'll keep it a secret."   
Jaimie pushed him away, "I don't know what you're talking about! Stay away from me!" She ran around him and straight into the Great Hall, where, thankfully there were plenty of people she could take safety with. She sat down near a group of third years who didn't even bother to look at her. Jaimie sat stiffly in her seat, painfully aware of Damion's eyes as he swept past her, but didn't stop to continue their little conversation.   
Jaimie placed a few pieces of bacon and egg on her plate and began chewing on them slowly. _He knows!_ She thought frantically. _What am I going to do! What if he tells. Oh this is horrible._   
When she was done eating, she looked over at the Slytherin table, to see if Damion was watching her. When she was sure he wasn't she ducked out of the table, and walked out of the Great Hall amid a group of giggling Ravenclaw sixth years, some of whom she knew.   
As soon as the doors shut fast behind her, she quickened her pace to a run toward the quickest way to Gryffindor Tower. When she had muttered the password to the Fat Lady, whose portrait swung forward promptly, Jaimie nearly dived throught the hole and sprinted to the boys' staircase, and into Remus' dormitory. She was surprised to see that Remus was already awake, however in his pajamas.   
Remus turned around when the door opened suddenly, and saw Jaimie panting heavily in the light. Surprised, and not to mention a little emberassed, he whispered just loudly enough for her to hear, "What are you doing here, Jaimie, you're not allowed in the boys' dormitory."   
"Damion knows, Remus, he knows. He knows your-our-secret. What are we going to do? He can blackmail us or anything!" Jaimie said, hysterically.   
"Wait, slow down . . . Damion knows what?"   
"He knows about your lycanthropy."   
Remus' look of concentration faded, and was replaced by a look of hopelessness. He was staring in the opposite wall, though his eyes weren't focuse at all. Jaimie was growing more and more worried the longer he looked like ths.   
"Remus?" Jaimie said, tapping his shoulder.   
This seemed to wake him up and he said, "How did you know he knew?"   
"He just said 'I know about Remus' monthly walks.'" She said.   
"That could mean anything." Remus said blankly.   
"I know, but, it could also mean that he knows."   
"Who knows?" Sirius had suddenly appeared out of his bed next to Remus', James jumping on Remus' bed, Peter watched from one of the posts on Remus' four poster.   
Both Remus and Jaimie began to say something. Remus to tell them that Damion might know, and Jaimie dissuading them.   
"Ok which one is it?" James asked, puzzled.   
Remus and Jaimie looked at each other, Remus closed his eyes and motioned for Jaimie to talk. "Its nothing. Don't worry about it." She said.   
"Ok . . . Jaimie, you know girl's aren't allowed in the boys' dormitory?" Said Peter.   
"Shut up, Wormtail, she's welcome here anytime!" Sirius ordered.   
"Thanks, Sirius, and yeah, I knew, but that hasn't stopped you guys from trying to sneak up into the girls' dormitories. Has it?" She said slyly, looking at the boys in turn.   
"Well . . .," They all wheedled   
"I didn't think so. I'll see you guys later." She said, walking out of the dormitory.   
"Jaimie, wait!" Sirius jumped off his bed, and ran to Jaimie who was halfway out the door.   
She turned around, and watched as Sirius jumped in front of her, and asked, "How are you? Are you okay, feeling any better?" He brushed a lock of hair away from her face.   
"I'll be fine, Sirius, thanks for worrying about me." Jaimie gave him a smile so genuine and so innocent that Sirius found that he'd lost the words he was going to say.   
But he recovered and said, "No problem, I was just wondering if you would like to meet me in the common room at one o'clock in the morning on Wednesday. I have a surprise for you."   
"Sure, but why so late? Well not that I won't be up at that time."   
"Its a surprise, just promise to meet me, okay?"   
Jaimie nodded, and left promptly. When she shut the door, Remus immediately burst out, "Where are you taking her, so late at night?"   
"Don't worry, Remus, I'll keep her safe, and I won't hurt her."   
"Its not that, I don't want her to be caught out of bounds late at night. She doesn't need detention, and she's freaked out enough about Damion. Not to mention she's depressed since her parents are gone, she doesn't need your break-up with her to trouble her either." Remus said, protectively.   
"Don't you think I know? I'm trying to get her to think about other things. And I know this may be hard to believe, but I really like her, and I want to see her if not happy, then normal again." Sirius returned, defensively.   
"I'm just saying, be careful with her. She doesn't need anymore crap in her life."   
"I know Remus, I know. Don't you think that I'd understand? What its like to lose your family? I mean, as far as I'm concerned, I never even had a family to begin with."   
Remus looked at Sirius calculatingly, finally he softened his gaze and said bitterly, "Yeah, I know." He looked out the window to the grounds outside, where there were few people relaxing. He sighed, and dug out his clothes for the funeral.   
At noon, Jaimie and Remus emerged from the dormitories, both carrying a small bag each, containing their clothes and things they would need for two nights away. The others waited quietly in the common room, and watched them as Professors McGonagall and Sprout, the Herbology teacher, accompanied them to the iron cast gates. Professor McGonagall looked them over and said, "Now you both will be taking the Knight Bus to Nottingham, am I right in assuming that that is where your house is Mr. Lupin?"   
Remus nodded once. Promptly, Professor Sprout flung her right arm in the air, and large bang sounded from a point about twenty feet from them. Suddenly, a large, triple decker purple bus appeared out of the thin air, and stopped abruptly in front of them, a very close miss from the spot that Professor Sprout had once stood. The doors opened wide, and out came a boy, a few years older than Jaimie and Remus, saying, "Welcome to the Knight Bus-"   
"Yeah, we know already, just stand aside please. Let these two through." Professore Sprout ushered Jaimie and Remus forward and onto the first deck of the bus, and seated them in two seats near the driver.   
"That'll be eleven sickles each." The conductor said.   
Remus handed the driver twenty-two sickles, much to the displeasure of Jaimie, and Professor McGonagall asked the driver to place them in priority. The driver reluctantly agreed and as soon as McGonagall and Sprout bid them farewell and left the bus, the driver kicked into movement, sending all the passengers and the seats back a couple of feet, Jaimie would've flown over the top of her armchair, had she not grabbed Remus, who had clung onto the window sill. Soon, they were speeding down Hogsmeade and into an unknown place. Lamp posts, trash bins and even houses and buildings jumped out of the way of the Knight Bus, as the driver didn't seem to have learned how to drive well.   
Jaimie soon found that she was getting sick, and buried her face into her hands, trying not to look at the objects that would fly out of nowhere. Twice, the bus came to an abrupt stop, Jaimie being propelled forward to her feet. She wasn't sure she like the Knight Bus too much.   
Finally, they had reached the gates to Remus' home, where, beyond it, stood a fairly large house, vines creeping up the face of it. Their house was very much far away from the next one, and behind it was a forest. Jaimie remembered well one instance when she had entered it at night. It was the night that Remus was bitten, the werewolf may very well still be living in that forest. Remus noticed Jaimie staring darkly at the woods, and nudged her elbow, breaking her reverie. She nodded, and instead busied herself by shouldering her bag, and getting out of the bus, thankful for that dreadul ride to be over.   
Remus and Jaimie walked up to the Lupins' front door, and rasped on it three times. Promptly, the door was opened by the Lupins' house-elf, Mimi, who wore a shrunken baby's blanket like a toga.   
"Master Remus, it is good to has you back, sir. Hello Miss Jaimie, you is expected as well." Mimi moved out of the way, and opened the door wider to let the two teenagers into the Lupins' living area. It was quite spacious, and their footsteps echoed on the marble floor.   
They set down their bags where they stood, and Aunt Charlene appeared from the top of the stairs, in a black dress with matching hat and gloves, the checkered handkerchief clamped in her right hand.   
"Remus, Jaimie you made it, was the trip alright?" She asked, walking slowly down the stairs.   
"Hello, Mum." Remus muttered.   
"Hi, Aunt Charlene."   
"Come on, dears, into the den, the funeral'll be later at four, so we might want to to wait till then."   
Aunt Charlene ushered them into the den, which was filled with vases of white roses, and pictures of Jaimie's Mum, Dad and sister all blinking solemnly down at the new come visitors. Uncle Alan was seen by a small table, laden with alcoholic beverages, drinking a small glass of amber liquid, that would sometimes sent sparks up into the air. He looked deathly pale, and lines creased his face. He had seemed much, much older than he had a month ago, worse than Jaimie even. Though Aunt Charlene made Jaimie's visage seem ten times worse.   
"Jaimie, dear, have you been eating well? Have you been getting enough sleep? No I see you haven't, you've got bags under your eyes, dear, and you're so thin! Here, eat this." Aunt Charlene went into the kitchen, and came back with a plate of sandwiches. She handed the plate to Jaimie, who tried to refuse it kindly, but Aunt Charlene kept forcing it upon her, much like Lily had the night before, and ate the sandwich in tiny bites, as soon as she finished it, another sandwich appeared. Aunt Charlene looked expectantly at her, and Jaimie was obliged to eat again.   
"How about you Remus, darling, do you want something from the kitchen?" She rounded on her son suddenly.   
"No thanks, Mum. If I'm hungry, I'll get it myself." Remus said politely.   
"Thank you, love. Now Jaimie, you eat all those sandwiches up. We need to fatten you up as much as possible, or you'll waste away."   
Jaimie smiled at her aunt through a mouthful of sandwich. She tried to swallow, but found that she really couldn't take one more bite, and rushed to the kitchen, her mouth still filled to the last with sandwich. Aunt Charlene watched her go, misinterpreting Jaimie's rush to get the food out, than take it in.   
"Good idea, dear, best to eat in front of a table." Aunt Charlene called.   
Remus snickered into his hands, as the sound of spitting food could be heard from the kitchen. Aunt Charlene looked slightly alarmed, but did not get up to check on things. Finally, Jaimie emerged from the kitchen, red in the face, and dragging a napkin across her mouth. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her breathing was uneven.   
"You alright dear?" Uncle Alan asked softly from across the room.   
"Yes, Uncle Alan." Jaimie mumbled.   
She returned to her seat, and waited in quiet for when the time came for them to leave.   
Finally, after an uneventful hour, when the clock had struck a quarter 'til three, Uncle Alan ushered them out of the house and into a muggle car. Jaimie hoped inside her that it was a Ministry car, like the one that Uncle Alan had driven herself, Remus and Lily in to get to King's Cross and Platform nine and three-quarters. Apparently it wasn't, it didn't seem to have any magical attributes, and Jaimie and Remus quickly found themselves staring out the window at nothing in particular, with lack of something better to do.   
At half past three, they finally made it through the black gates of the cemetary. They pulled into the parking lot of the church, they were the only ones there. _Perhaps there were more_, Jaimie thought, _Or maybe its just us._   
But her first thought was correct, because as the rest of the hour whiled itself away, more and more people came to give their regards and regrets to Jaimie, many were holding soggy handkerchiefs. Jaimie herself knew she couldn't cry anymore, she forced herself that she wouldn't. So she sat in the first pew, as many people came up to the caskets that bore the bodies of her mother, father and sister, all of whom, she was glad to see, did not have the look of surprise on their faces. Finally, when the oration begun, the priest said his word, and many others came up to the podium to praise her family. Jaimie herself didn't say anything, and no one pressured her to.   
Finally, when the oration was done, the caskets were taken out to the church, where their plots were dug out. Jaimie walked out, holding onto the glassy, black coffin of her mother, looking determinedly straight ahead, painfully aware that people were watching her. The priest gave a last eulogy, before the caskets were buried, some people crying more hysterically than what was necessary. When their casekts were slowly lowered, Jaime felt a slight yearning to fling herself down with the coffins, and get buried alive, but instead threw a single, white rose into each of their coffins, a glistening tear escaping her dry eyes. She wiped away the tear ferverently. She walked to the edge of the rut, as she muttered silently to herself. "Good-bye Mum, Dad, Dominique. I love you all, rest in peace."   
Remus walked up to her side, and took her hand, she looked at their linked hands, and then at Remus' face and said, "I'm ready to go." He smiled reassuringly at her, before she turned around and made a path among the many tear-stained faces of the crowd.   
The white rose fluttered down the large pit, and landed with a flump on the coffin, its petals shattering all over the surface.   
  
  


* * *

  
_A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed once more. It really makes me feel better._


	7. Knowledge

**Knowledge**

_I know that things are getting tougher_   
_When you can't get the top off from_   
_the bottom of the barrel,_   
_Wide open road of my future now..._   
_It's looking fucking narrow._

_All I know is that I don't know nothing._   
_We get told to decide._   
_Just like as if I'm not going to change my mind._   
  
  


Jaimie sat by her window in the girls' dormitory that night. It wasn't because she was afraid that her family would take their usually haunting in her sleep, but because she was busy thinking about her life with her parents. It now just occured to her how very few memories she had of them. The pictures she held in her hands were just the few instances when they were all together. She worked in the dark, placing a water repelling spell upon the pictures, as her family waved and smiled enthusiastically back at her.   
"_Impervius!" _She whispered as the the photos shined with a brief sheen before it turned back to normal. She smiled at the beach picture, remembering in her head the sound of the seagulls cawing loudly above, the sound of distant laughter, and smell of barbeque and the salty quality of the air. She was brought back to present, she stared back at the photographs and her smiled faded. She inhaled deeply through her nose, and let it out with a sigh as she moved away from the window and placed the pictures in a small stationary box in her bedside drawer. When that was done, she pulled back her covers, and crawled under them, curling up into a ball and falling fast asleep. 

The next day, she was shaken awake by Lily who was fully dressed, and ready to go for breakfast. Lily always liked her food.   
"C'mon, James, wake up! I'm hungry!" Lily said, as she was just doing up her tie.   
Jaimie sat up in bed, and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She gave a huge yawn, accompanied by a stretch and placed her feet upon the cold wooden floor. She stood up and walked to the bathroom to clean herself up. Lily walked past her and said, "Meet me in the common room. And hurry up, I'm hungry you know."   
"Lily, you're always hungry." Jaimie mumbled.   
"No I'm not!" Lily's red head disappeared through the dormitory door.   
Jaimie chuckled to herself and she dressed herself into her Hogwarts uniform and dashed out into the common room, where Lily and the four boys stood suggestively near the portrait of the Fat Lady, Sirius clutching his stomach as he talked.   
When Jaimie appeared, Sirius walked up to her and pulled her into a tight hug. Jaimie returned it, though slightly taken aback by the gesture.   
"What was that for?" She asked, as Sirius finally let her go.   
"I can't give my girlfriend a hug?" Sirius said, smiling.   
"Now, I didn't say that." Jaimie said, smiling mischievously at Lily as she walked away.   
"You alright?" Lily asked at the the smiling Jaimie. Sirius and James walked a little behind them, Remus walking causually next to Sirius, and Peter struggling to catch up to the quickening paces of the four taller and much longer legged boys.   
Jaimie nodded. Lily gave her a skeptical look.   
"Yes, Lily, I'm fine! What did you expect me to be? Suicidal?" Jaimie asked, slightly afronted.   
"Well, in a way, yes." Lily said, wringing her hands.   
"Lily, some things just can't be explained, and the way I am feeling is definitely one of them. I don't know what happened. Just seeing my family looking so peaceful like that makes me feel that maybe they really aren't gone."   
Lily gave Jaimie a strange expression.   
"Yeah, you probably think that I'm off my rocker." Jaimie said, quickening her pace, and shrugging.   
"No it wasn't that, its just, I understand, and that was really deep." Lily said, smiling in awe.   
"Yeah." Jaimie said.   
"So you're alright now? No more staying up all night or skipping meals."   
Jaimie nodded her head, and Lily sighed.   
Jaimie was back. 

On Wednesday, Jaimie went to bed at the exact same time as Lily. she crawled into bed and waited for the others girls to sleep before sitting up and leaving the dormitory. Tiptoeing softly down the girls' staircase, she glanced at the hands of the handsome grandfather clock in the corner to strike one. According to it, she still had five minutes, so she sat in an armchair and waited. Finally, the gradfather clock chimed once, as the hour hand pointed to the roman numeral one, she looked around for Sirius, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was late, that was it. So she sat around a few minutes staring at the still burning fire, when a hand slowly grasped her shoulder, and she stood up in surprise to see Sirius' head, levitating six feet in midair.   
"Sirius?" Jaimie asked.   
"Yeah, its an invisibility cloak. Shh, come on, get inside."   
"Where are we going?"   
"It's a surprise."   
Jaimie gave Sirius a very suspicious look and said, "We're not going another park are we?"   
Sirius chuckled. "No, this is much better, come on." He pulled apart the invisiblility cloak, and motioned for her to get in.   
She reluctantly did as he asked, and soon she was under the cloak, Sirius' strong arms holding it up for the both of them. He smiled at her and said, "Ok, let's go."   
They crawled out into the candlelit hallways, and started forward. He led her to her left, and up seven flights of stairs. They did not see anybody out in the halls, though they did not expect to, no one in their right minds would be out at this time-except of course Jaimie and Sirius.   
So up they went, all the way to the seventh floor. They climbed up through another stairway, which ended with a trap door. Sirius heaved upward, and the trap door gave, to the tallest tower in the castle-The Astronomy Tower. Sirius swept the Invisibilty Cloak off of them, and felt the air, ruffle his hair slightly. After sneaking around slowly under a cloak while having to climb numerous stairways, you'd get hot, too.   
Jaimie looked around at the turret they stood in. Across from her, on the other side, stood a single telescope, facing upward at the sky.   
"What are we doing here, Sirius?" Jaimie asked.   
"Well, star gazing of course. You told me that you liked star gazing so much, so I figured this would cheer you up. You do remember that I asked you if you wanted to see the meteor shower with me right?" He asked, as he pulled her to an unoccupied opening, and put his arms around her, as they stared out at the starry night sky and the dark Hogwarts ground.   
"Oh, yes I remember." She said, recalling his offer. She had forgotten it, in light of the recent events.   
Another satisfying breeze blew through, and Sirius said, "Good, I was starting to think you were forgetting about everything. About Lily, and Remus, and about me." He added himself in as though he were an afterthought.   
Alarmed, Jaimie said, "Of course I didn't forget you. I would never have. You guys were the only ones keeping me alive, and healthy. I know that it was you guys who put the Sleeping Draught and the dreamless sleep potion in that chicken." She gave him a shrewd smile.   
Sirius let out a barklike laugh and said, "You catch on quickly."   
"It was obvious, though I think you overdosed it."   
"It wasn't my idea!" Sirius lied.   
"Oh, well whoever used the potion overdosed it. I barely reached the bed. If I just stood there a second longer I would have fallen on my face."   
"That would've been funny." Sirius said.   
"Yeah . . ." Jaimie paused, "Thanks, Sirius."   
"Thanks for what?" He said, looking over her.   
"For everything."   
They were just inches away from each other. She could feel his heart beat against hers. This was it, the moment, the _kiss._ How long Jaimie had waited. Their lips were just centimeters apart, she could feel his breath upon her, but suddenly, she looked up at the sky. Fat, pregnant drops of water pounded upon and around them. It was raining. The mood was ruined. Jaimie shielded her head from the rain, as Sirius took off his robe and wrapped it around her, and quickly pulled open the trap door and ran inside for shelter from the rain. When they had gotten to the staircase, they looked at each other, and their soft laughter echoed through the castle, the meager light in the hallway casting both their faces into shadow, though this hardly mattered.   
Sirius walked down to the staircase two steps at a time, and waited for Jaimie to catch up. They looked at each other and laughed. They were drenched. When their laughter died, Sirius placed a hand on Jaimie's waist. She placed her arms around his neck, and slowly pulled him closer, but once again they were stopped as Argus Filch, the newly hired Hogwarts caretaker, ambled into view around the corner and smiled wickedly, saying, "Well, well, what do we have here?"   
They had forgotten to use the Invisibility Cloak.   
Ten minutes later, Sirius and Jaimie, Sirius' robe still wrapped around her, were standing in front Professor McGonagall's desk, trying very hard to supress their amusement. Professor Mcgonagall herself, in her tartan bath robe reprimanding them.   
"Ms. Dijon, I would have expected more from you! Wandering around the school after hours. What were you thinking, silly girl, following Mr. Black around! Of course I could not expect any better from you, but I wouldn't have expected you to pull another along on one of your escapades, Mr. Black."   
"I wasn't following him around, Professor! In fact, _I_ asked _him_ to come with me-" Jaimie said, defensively.   
"That's not true!" Sirius interjected "You're right, Professor, it's entirely my fault, you shouldn't punish Jaimie for my stupid pranks."   
Jaimie was about to protest when Professor Mcgonagall said, "Be quiet both of you. I will not let either of you to take the full blame. Fifty points will be taken from each of you. And the next time, Ms. Dijon, I will not let you off so easily. Go straight to your dorms." She said, sitting down on her chair and massaging her head.   
Filch, who was standing like a ghost in the corner of Mcgonagall's room, leered at the two as they passed. Sirius would've have returned the gesture, had Jaimie not warned him that Mcgonagall was still in the room. They walked out into the hallway to hear a set of odd footsteps walking hurriedly toward them. Sirius and Jaimie looked at each other briefly, before he pulled from his robes the Invisibility Cloak and swept it over himself and Jaimie, who had crawled behind a suit of armor. They peeked out to see who these people were and found it was Professors Riley, Bugg the Care of Magical Creatures Teacher, and Dumbledore hurrying toward Professor Mcgonagall's classroom, all talking in hushed whispers to Professor Riley, who Jaimie had just noticed, was looking very windswept and dirty.   
Just then, Professor Mcgonagall came sweeping out of her class to the group, who stopped brisk walking when she appeared amidst them.   
"Albus, what has happened now?" She asked, urgently.   
"The Dark Lord and his followers have made another attack on an Order member. Gideon and Fabian Prewett."   
"Oh Albus, are they alright?" Mcgonagall gasped, placing a hand over her mouth.   
"No," Riley said, gravely, shaking his curly, red head, "Took six Death Eaters to kill one of them. Poor lads, aurors came about five seconds after they did them in."   
"_Six Death Eaters?" _Professor Bugg cried in amazement. Her eyes grew in horror, and her mouth was slightly open.   
"Yes." Riley said, closing his eyes. "I think that they may have found some information from Charles Dijon. I think the Dark Lord knew that Charles was an Order member, which makes me think that his murder wasn't just a warning sign but one to help him further his plans. He also has a list of possible Order members."   
"Anything else?"   
"Yes, they are planning to kill the Bones' next, though they did not specify on a date."   
"Very well, you fought bravely, Mark, however, I will need to ask you which Order members he knows about, and about your next job so to my office, I think. The rest of you may go, I will of course inform you of any news. Come, Mark." Dumbledore led Riley down the corridor where Sirius and Jaimie were hiding behind the suit of armor. They squeezed even further behind it, forgetting that they had the Invisibility Cloak on. They watched as Dumbledore walked side by side with Riley, whispering to him. As they passed, Jaimie could have sworn that Dumbledore had looked straight at her and given her the smallest wink.   
When they had disappeared around a corner further up the hallway, Sirius and Jaimie both breathed a sigh of relief. Sirius turned to Jaimie, who was looking meditatively at her feet. So it was in this way, that Sirius led a downcast Jaimie to the Gryffindor common room. His thoughts just as muddled as hers.   
Finally, after what seemed like eternity, they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Sirius gave her the password, and she swung forward, after which the two clambered inside. Sirius took the cloak off of them, and looked at Jaimie awkwardly; she was still staring attentively at the ground, before sitting down on the couch by the fire. Jaimie idly follwed him and sank onto the chair, laying her head on its usual perch on his shoulder. Sirius sighed and said, "Not exactly the way I thought it would turn out."   
Jaimie looked at him, he smiled sympathetically and said, "You okay?"   
"Yeah." Jaimie whispered, laying her head back down, he put his arm around her and began sroking her gently.   
"You want to talk about it?" Sirius said, looking at the empty grate in front of them.   
"No. No, I think I'll go to bed." She stood up, and he did, too. Jaimie stared up at Sirius pensively, before she gave him a hug and said, "Thanks for tonight, thanks for everything."   
She walked rather clumsily up to the girls' staircase and disappeared, much to the confusion of Sirius. He sat down again, a little while longer, brooding on what he heard that night. Finally, he too went to bed, but didn't go to sleep, and knew that in another room, Jaimie wasn't either. 

The next morning, Jaimie was awoken by the alarm clock, though she could not remember ever sleeping. She did not dwell on this for long though, for she heard movement on either side of her, and got up, too. Lily appeared behind her hangings as Jaimie made to get up for the bathroom. Lily followed her, as they both brushed their teeth, Rita and Jennifer coming in as well.   
They all started brushing their teeth, too sleepy and preoccupied to notice Jaimie look expectantly at the door, nod her head to it, motioning to Lily that they needed to talkin private. So spitting out their toothpaste suds, they walked out of the bathroom, and dressed hurriedly, before running down the stairs, and out into the hallway, where Jaimie proceeded to relate to Lily about last night's events, excluding her time with Sirius.   
Lily's eyes grew steadily wider as Jaimie finished her story. They were in the Great Hall by that time, and were surrounded by many people who can easily eavesdrop, so they didn't discuss it unti lthey had left the and were in the entrance hall, Sirius and the three other boys meeting up with them to go to their first class.   
Of course, their first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. They entered the classroom to find that Professor Riley was replaced by an attractive asian witch, who was busy straightening papers on Professor Riley's desk. Surmising from the unsurprised looks on the boys' faces, Jaimie guessed that Sirius had told them about last night as well.   
So taking their usual seats near the back of the class, they talked in hushed whispers the whereabouts of Professor Riley. They had ruled out the possiblity that he could be preventing an attack, because Dumbledore was obviously his superior, and would therefore be preventing the attack with him, and Dumbledore was at Hogwarts. Lily pointed out the possibility of a secret undercover mission, one that a muggle invention called a 'cinema' always depicted, but James stamped on that one, saying that they can find much better wizards than Riley to take that job.   
They were so absorbed in their conversation that they did not realize that their substitute teacher, Professor Lang, had suddenly become quiet, and was staring dangerously at the urgently whipsering group. They didn't even notice that the whole class had all their heads turned in their direction, and were whispering behind their hands.   
Peter, who was the most quiet, was the first to notice this, and tapped James' shoulder who snapped back and said, "What is it, Wormtail?"   
He faltered, as he stared around at the class, and the others followed suit, eventually looking ashamedly back at the teacher.   
Professor Lang took a steadying breath and said, "I do not condone talking while I am trying to teach." She said in a stern voice much like Professor Mcgonagall's. "Five points from you each, and you will have detention. Stay after class for your instructions." Professor Lang continued talking about Patronuses, as the six teenagers stared sulkily back at her.   
Jaimie sat in her seat, her arms folded across her chest, and was staring unattentively at a newspaper that lay open on a blonde Ravenclaw girl's desk. Upon it was a large picture of a skull, with a tongue protruding from its mouth, revolving slowly. It hovered eerily in the sky, above the wreckage of what seemed to be a house. On the ground, lying strangely among the rubble, were the unmistakable bodies of two men, while a couple of others; Aurors; lay around them, looking grievous, or otherwise checking the surrounding area for anything unusual. Jaimie gave a sharp intake of air, Professor Lang turned around reprovingly to look at Jaimie, and said, "What is it now, Ms. Dijon?"   
"Nothing, I was just holding back a sneeze." Jaimie said.   
Professor Lang turned around, rolling her eyes, and continued with her lesson. Jaimie turned to Sirius, and pointed out the article to him. He understood at once, and tapped the girl on the shoulder. She turned around at once, peeved at the person who could be disrupting her, but immediately brightened up once she saw that it was Sirius. He whispered in her ear for the article, and she gladly handed it to him, as she brushed her hair off her shoulder, vivaciously. Jaimie and the girl were looking daggers at each other as Sirius handed Jaimie the newspaper. The girl's look of loathing intensified as Sirius gave Jaimie a kiss on the cheek, before looking down at the newspaper on Jaimie's lap. Finally the two girls both turned away, giving their attention to Professor Lang's rather irksome lesson.   
Finally, to their relief, the lesson was over, though the prospect of having to face Professor Lang for their detention was still troublesome. She was busy erasing the board clean, with a swipe of her wand, before turning to the group, who had ambled slowly up to her desk.   
Fixing her glasses up the bridge of her nose she said, "You will report to this class at six o'clock for further instructions, is that clear?"   
As one, they all nodded their heads in agreement. She turned from them, and began straightening up the papers once more, and walked out of the class after them. She hurried away up the corridor and out of sight. Jaimie looked around the corridor at once, and made sure that the people around them were well immersed in their own conversations to eavesdrop said, "Look at this," He motioned for the others to close in as a circle around her, as Jaimie read the newspaper headline.   


  


**He-who-must-not-be-named strikes again**

At 9:45 on the eve of October 7, 1977 it was reported   
That He-who-must-not-be-named had arrived at the house   
of the brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewett, who were be-   
lieved to be members of the highly exclusive Order of the   
Pheonix, its head being the much adored Albus Dumble-   
Dore.   
The site of 14 Vincent Lane, where the two brothers   
reportedly lived, was left in complete ruin. The bodies   
of the Gideon and Fabian both were seen lying side by   
side, in the rubble. The expressions on their faces much   
the same as all of He-who-must-not-be-named's victims.   
The healers of St. Mungo's, who have examined the bod-   
ies believe that their deaths were caused by Avada Ked-   
avra, or the Killing Curse, which, everyone should know   
is highly punishable by law, if used on another being.   
As of yet, the identity of the the witches and wizards   
responsible for the death of the two in question are un-   
known, though a Ministry official, who will go unnamed,   
assured us that the culprits will not go unpunished.   
However, the reliability of this statement is highly que-   
stionable. Why, as we speak, the culprits who have   
murdered the highly beloved Dijons are still unnamed.   
How much longer do we have to live in fear of these   
purgers of peace. The answer still lies at the end of the   
tunnel.   
  
  


* * *

  
_A/N: Oh god, this one took forever to write! I usually like to keep a chapter ahead, hence the reason why I update so soon, but this one was taking forever to write, so I just went ahead and posted the one before. So sorry to keep you waiting. Pleae r/r. BTW all that stuff about the Prewetts were entirely mine; where they lived, when they died. I didn't see them from any other site, or didn't do any research on them at all, b/c theres nothing about them. I just found it useful and convenient. BTW, this may be chronologically wrong, but please forgive me, I'll just correct this when I have the chance_


	8. It's the End of the World

**It's the End of the World**

_Six o'clock - TV hour._   
_Don't get caught in foreign tower._   
_Slash and burn, return,_   
_Listen to yourself churn._   
_Lock him in uniform and book burning, blood letting._   
_Every motive escalate._   
_Automotive incinerate._   
_Light a candle, light a motive. Step down, step down._   
_Watch a heel crush, crush._   
_Uh oh, this means no fear_   
_Cavalier._   
_Renegade and steer clear!_   
_A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies._   
_Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives_   
_and I decline._

_It's the end of the world as we know it._   
_It's the end of the world as we know it._   
_It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine._   


Jaimie very much itched to skive off Transfiguration and talk about the article with her friends, but she would just as well run around the room and light her head on fire. So she sat out the hour long class, waiting impatiently to talk to her friends about the article. So when the bell rang, excusing them to lunch, Jaimie couldn't help but shoot up straight in the air, frightening everyone within a five foot radius, and grab her bag, urging Sirius and the others to hurry.   
When they had gotten into the Great Hall, Jaimie grabbed a few sandwiches and pressed her friends out into the grounds, where they sat under a beech tree near the lake and discussed the subject which she waited so very long to talk about.   
"So, its called the Order of the Pheonix is it?" She said plopping onto the ground, her back against the tree's trunk, the others following suit, under the shade of the tree's foliage.   
"I guess so. I wonder what they do?" Peter wondered aloud.   
"That's easy, they fight Voldemort. I mean, its pretty obvious." Sirius said, nonchalantly taking another bite of his sandwich.   
"But what do you think they talk about? I mean, in muggle movies, they have spies and under cover agents and things, I wonder if they have those too?" Lily said.   
"Of course they do, but like I said before, there are much better witches and wizards than Riley." James said, playing with a blade of grass.   
"Well, he could be a spy." Remus stated, hurling the rest of his unfinished sandwich into the lake.   
"Remus!" Jaimie chided.   
Remus shrugged, before proceeding to lie down on the grass, his head propped in his hands.   
"Yeah. I mean, he seems like the type that would join Voldemort. He's definitely got the temper." Sirius continued, ignoring Jaimie's rebuke.   
"But then, if he seems the type to be a spy, he could play double-agent, maybe he's giving Dumbledore false information." Lily said, her eyes brightening with enthusiasm.   
"Yeah, that's right! Maybe he's the one that gave the names of the other Order members." James said, sitting up.   
"Nah, I think Dumbledore would choose his spies carefully. I don't think that he would trust Riley with this job if he thought that Riley was double-crossing him." Remus said, staring idly at the clouds.   
"I suppose so." Jaimie said, slowly.   
A group of giggling girls passed by, among them the blonde Ravenclaw girl who's Daily Prophet was still clutched in Jaimie's hand, waving cheekily at the four boys, and giving Jaimie and Lily the cold shoulder. They crossed the short distance from the beech tree to the lake, took their shoes off and waded their feet in the shallow depths of the water. After they were out of hearing shot of them, their talk continued once more.   
"Well, Dumbledore could choose his spies carefully, but still, he's a human, he can make mistakes." Sirius pointed out, now following Remus' lead and lying down on the grass, his head in Jaimie's lap. She placed a hand on his head and started stroking his hair, when suddenly, one of the girls from the lake uttered a shriek of surprise.   
They all swung their heads swiftly toward the girls' direction and saw that the blonde Ravenclaw had unearthed Remus' uneaten sandwich, now soggy and falling apart on her foot. They all laughed hysterically at the sight. 

The next few months passed uneventfully, busily, but uneventfully. WIth every passing class, they were forcibly reminded of N.E.W.T's the following year, but finally it was over. It was all over, until the next year. Their trunks were packed, their closets empty, their four-posters neatly made. Jaimie and the others could be seen sitting casually in their usual places around the fire, enjoying the few hours they had before going home, and returning again for their final year. They all looked happily at each other, a look of triumph on their faces. All except for Jaimie, who was a bit preoccupied over the latest murder of the Bones', and it was also rumored that they were apart of the Order of the Pheonix which they had researched as thoroughly as they could.   
"Another year of mischief to Hogwarts." James said, stretching out regally on his armchair.   
"Yep, six gone, one more to go." Sirius said joyfully.   
"I wonder what's going to happen after this. I mean, its kind of scary. We've been in school for as long as I can remember, and now, after next year, no more Hogwarts. No more teachers, no more pranks pulled by attractively evil boys." Lily said, giving James a steely glint.   
"Yeah . . . " Remus sighed, smiling reminscently.   
"I don't want to think about it, I'd rather just cross the bridge when I get there." Sirius said, leaning back on his spot on the moth eaten sofa.   
"But you always do that." Peter pointed out, slightly put off.   
"Worked fine, didn't it?" Sirius commented, a mischievous light in his eyes.   
"Yeah, Sirius is right, I don't want to think about it. We got a whole other year for that." James said, frowning slightly.   
"What's wrong, Jaimie, you seem quiet." Remus said, looking at Jaimie.   
"Just thinking . . .," She muttered, still staring pensively at the table before her.   
"About what?" Lily asked, leaning forward.   
"About the Bones, Voldemort, " Peter winced at the sound of the name, though everyone ignored him, "and the Order."   
"What, like you want to join?" James blurted out.   
"Well, yeah." Jaimie said, shrugging.   
"Yeah, I suppose that would be a choice career," Said Lily pensively.   
"Yeah, but like I said . . ." Sirius began   
"You'll cross the bridge when you get there, I know." Jaimie repeated, with a laugh.   
Sirius looked rather galled, and Jaimie gave him a kiss on his cheek as a consolation.   
That night, at the end of term feast, the food was just as magnificent as ever. The Great Hall was bedecked in banners of blue and bronze and a large picture of an eagle, for Ravenclaw had won the House Cup. The feast had gone well enough, except at the beginning of it when James and Sirius, unbeknownst to the larger part of the student body, had bewitched the large roast chickens, stationed at every table, to turn the colors of Ravenclaw and dance along the house tables, making a mess as they came.   
With an amused air, Dumbledore made one sweeping movement of his wand and the chickens had promptly turned their normal shade of roasted brown, stopped dancing and fell with a crash on the table. As the teachers couldn't prove who had done it, they just continued on with the feast, keeping a heavy eye on James and Sirius who were not fool enough to do anything of the sort for the rest of the feast.   
Towards the end of the feast, a man had slipped into the Great Hall by one of the side doors. No one seemed to notice him, as he tiptoed up to Dumbledore, staring over at the Slytherin table occasionally. Dumbledore nodded, politely and then whispered something back before the men snuck out of the Great Hall through the same way he came. Jaimie looked at the others to see if they noticed, too. They had, but didn't seem to make a big deal of it, and so he was forgotten.   
So the next day, they all checked and double checked their trunks, made sure they didn't forget anything, and were soon boarding the Hogwarts Express. Once more, they had a compartment to themselves, save Lily and Remus who were at the Prefect compartment and were sitting around casually in it when who should appear but none other than Damion Malfoy and Severus Snape. They both looked positively fuming, Damion's hair dishelved and his usually immaculate robes now in burned tatters, Snape's robes were burned as well, but were also covered in a slimy, greenish substance. Sirius and James both stood up, but immediately began sniggering at the sight of them. Jaimie looked around the compartment, and was painfully aware that she would not be able to hold back Sirius and James if a fight were about to ensue, and Peter wasn't exactly able to help, being the same height and most likely strength of Jaimie.   
"Black, you did this, I know you did." Damion growled.   
"Did what?" Said Sirius in a very supressed voice, as he was holding back a laugh.   
"YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!" And in an instant, Damion had taken his wand out of his robes and had muttered a spell. A red flash of light emitted out of the tip of his wand, and hit Sirius squarely on his chest, propelling him backward onto opposite wall.   
"Sirius!" Jaimie muttered, as she crouched beside the crumpled heap that was Sirius on the floor.   
Peter had just stood up and was holding his wand, ready to do a spell, but James stopped him.   
"You'll pay for that one Malfoy." James said, and he took his wand out of his back pocket and cried, "Expelliarmus!"   
Damion's wand flew out of his hand and James had caught it just as Sirius made to stand up. He deftly reached for his wand and was about to curse both Snape and Damion when Snape had had beaten him and called "_Crucio!"_ and aimed right for Sirius. Shocked that Snape would even dare to use an Unforgivable curse, Sirius and James stood rooted to the spot. But acting quickly Jaimie stood up, and ran in front of the two boys, the full blast of the spell hitting her.   
She fell on the opposite seat, crying out in pain as Sirius fell to her side, "Jaimie!"   
"She deserved it, Black. She shouldn't have gotten in the way. You needed to be punished for what you did. It was her fault she got hit instead of you." Snape sneered at Sirius, then to James, and then to Jaimie's writhing form. He looked at Damion who was not at all amused at what he did, but on the contrary shook his head as a sign of disapproval. Undaunted, Snape still didn't lift the curse of off Jaimie.   
Sirius yelled, "Take the curse off her NOW!" Seeing that Snape was going to let Jaimie suffer more, he was about to curse Snape when Lily and Remus, as well as the Head Boy and Girl appeared in the corridor. In a second the curse was lifted off of Jaimie, and she relaxed on the compartment seat, staring at the new arrivals in disorientation.   
"What has been going on here?!" The Head Boy asked, shrilly.   
"Snape just-" Peter began, but James interrupted and said, "Snape and Malfoy just wanted to say hello, but they're leaving, _aren't they._" He and Sirius stared dangerously at Damion and Malfoy, who stood defiantly on the spot, Damion a little paler than usual, but the color flooding in his cheeks once more.   
"Well, that's not what the people in the other compartments said. They're saying that you were dueling. Were you?" The Head Girl asked.   
Lily and Remus looked politely puzzled behind the Head Boy and Girl, they're eyes wide with shock or nerves, it was hard to tell.   
"We were just-just-" James faltered, looking for an excuse.   
"We were just practicing a few spells, you know, doing all the magic we can before we reach platform nine and three-quarters. Right guys?" Sirius asked, looking around for a collective agreement.   
James and Peter nodded her head in support.   
"Well, then, why are you lying down on the ground. You look sick, are you alright?" The Head Girl asked Jaimie, stepping into the compartment.   
"She's fine!" Lily said, pushing her way ahead of Jaimie. "She's always like this, allergic reactions to-to-" She look around for an object, but not finding one, she said, "Leather! Allergic reactions to leather."   
Still suspicious, the Head Boy said, "Alright. But tone things down, your causing a great disturbance. Oh and you," he pointed to James, "Give that wand back to its owner."   
James looked down at the two wands he held in his hands. Reluctantly, he threw Damion's wand back, who caught it easily, and the Head Boy and Girl left the compartment, leaving them alone.   
"You'll pay for that one Snape, you just wait. You'll be sorry you ever did that." James said, pointing his wand at Snape.   
Snape just scoffed as he walked away, following Damion.   
Remus walked in, and slammed the compartment door shut, amid the surprised reaction of everyone else. Lily and he took their seats, as Sirius helped Jaimie to sit up. Her bones were still aching terribly. It felt as if a thousand dull knives were being inserted forcefully into her skin, and her limbs were being pulled away from her body in all directions. Excruciating pain. She lay limply in Sirius' arms, as James pulled from his trunk, a bar of Honeydukes chocolate and handed a piece to her. She placed a piece in her mouth and felt the pain ebb slowly. After she finished the last piece of chocolate, she straightened up and leaned her head on the compartment wall, closing her eyes.   
Timidly, Lily asked, "What happened?"   
Jaimie opened her eyes, and buried her face in her hands, her elbows on her upper thighs, seeing that she would not explain Sirius said, "Snape and Malfoy came, and-and put the Cruciatus Curse on Jaimie."   
"WHAT?!" Remus asked, raising his voice and standing up quickly.   
"Well, it wasn't intended for her, it was intended for Sirius," James said, forcing Remus back onto the seat.   
"Why did you do that?" Sirius asked, leaning toward Jaimie.   
She looked up and said, "Because."   
"Because what? It would have been better in you let me take the full blast." Sirius said.   
"I couldn't let you take it. After everything you've done for me, I couldn't let you get hurt. And I couldn't think of anything else, so I dived."   
Sirius pulled her into a hug, and planted a kiss on her forhead, letting Jaimie lean on his chest.   
"Why did he do it though?" Lily asked, her eyebrows furrowed, "Why would Snape use an Unforgivable Curse no someone?"   
"Well, I suppose, the first question we have to ask is: How did he learn how to do an Unforgivable Curse." Remus said, placing his elbows on his knees, using his hands as supports for his chin.   
"Well, he's always been interested in the Dark Arts. I wouldn't put it past him to learn how to work all of the Unforgivable Curses."   
"Even Avada Kedavra?" Jaimie asked, her head still on Sirius' chest.   
"Maybe he's joined you-know-who. Maybe he's a Death Eater." Peter piped up.   
"It would make sense, since Death Eaters know how to use all of the Unforgivable Curses." Remus admitted.   
Peter swelled with pride at having gotten something right.   
"Wait, so if Snape is a Death Eater, do you think Damion is one, too?" Jaimie asked.   
"I'd say its very likely." Sirius commented.   
"Yeah, its a rumor his whole family is in league with Voldemort." James added, just as the witch with the cartful of the candy came by and offered them some.   
Gladly, they all took a hefty handful and began to munch on their feast, their conversation now a little more interesting with the prospect of food. They spent the rest of the day talking about the death eaters, and arrived at platform nine and three-quarters late in the afternoon. They all carried their trunks down, and met their parents on platform nine and three-quarters. Since Sirius was not living with his parents any longer, he and James both went to James' parents. Lily met her parents a little away from all the others, Lily's formidable looking older sister sitting defiantly on a bench, watching with narrowed eyes at all the other students, who were dressed as muggles.   
Jaimie and Remus, both dragging their trunks, spotted Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan coming right for them. Indeed Uncle Alan looked even more woebegone than ever. He looked so palled, with his wisps of graying hair that had sprouted prematurely in his sandy-blond hair, and with bags under his eyes. However, he seemed to be cheerful when he greeted Remus and Jaimie.   
"Jaimie, Remy! Been studying well?You're a giant!" He said, taking note of Remus' increased height.   
"Great, Dad." Remus said a little apprehensively. Perhaps he didn't act this way very often.   
"Hello, Jaimie sweetie, how are you? Remus, darling, you're looking pale! It isn't that time of the month yet, is it?" She whispered secretively to Remus.   
"Mum! That makes it sound like I'm on the rag*!" Remus cried in indignation.   
Jaimie stifled a giggle, Aunt Charlene, however, plowed on, "Sorry, dear, how else am I to put it? This is the best way I could say it without people finding out."   
"Yeah, because people thinking that I'm hormonally challenged is way better." Remus commented when Aunt Charlene had turned away.   
Just then, James and Sirius had come up to them, cheeriliy, and said, "You have to stay over the summer for a while. Sirius' looking over some flats for when he moves out next year."   
"Hey, that would be great." Remus said, as Aunt Charlene moved away to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Potter who had just ambled after their son.   
"Hey, Jaimie!" Jaimie turned around to see that Lily and her family were walking out of the invisible doorway to the King's Cross, "Owl me, okay?"   
"Yeah I wil!" Jaimie replied.   
"Hey James!" Lily called to James who looked back in amazement.   
"Yeah, Evans?" He called.   
"I'll see you over the summer, hopefully." She said, waving good-bye to the group and smiling at James as she was replaced by the seemingly solid wall.   
James positively beamed.   
A few moments later, the Potters with Sirius and the Lupins with Jaimie filtered inconspicuously through the barrier between the muggle world and the wizard world. Sirius and Jaimie moved away from the two families saying their farewell to each other, and gave their own good-byes to one another.   
"I'll see you soon okay? I'll owl you, and we can all get together over the summer." Sirius said, smiling.   
"I'd like that." Jaimie nodded, as Sirius held Jaimie's face in his hands.   
"Jaimie, time to go darling!" Aunt Charlene called from a few feet away.   
Jaimie closed her eyes in frustration and muttered, "I'll see you." to Sirius before following Aunt Charlene out into the well lighted parking lot of King's Cross. They entered the familiar old car that Uncle Alan had used, and immediately drove away, Jaimie and Remus prepared for another long and boring ride.   
When the gates of the Lupin's house opened, and Uncle Alan had driven through, they were suprised to see Mimi come running down the long drive in their direction. Panicking, Uncle Alan stopped the car in its place, and gotten out, and started scolding Mimi. Their voices were muffled by the sound of the car's engine, and the sound of the radio, which Aunt Charlene had increased in volume, so as not to hear what Uncle Alan and Mimi had been saying.   
It seemed Mimi was explaining something to Uncle Alan whose anger slowly ebbed away to a look of deathly seriousness, and concentration. When Mimi had finished, she disappeared with a pop, to the great surprise of Jaimie, and Uncle Alan opened the driver's door and said to Aunt Charlene, "There's been some trouble, I've got to go, urgent business, you know what I mean."   
"Can I help, Alan?" Aunt Charlene asked.   
"No, not this time, you'll need to be with these two," He jerked his thumb at Jaimie and Remus in the backseat, "Make sure that the fire is not on, and if there's any sign of movement that shouldn't be from outside, head straight for the woods."   
Aunt Charlene nodded once, and Uncle Alan said, "Good, Remus, Jaimie, I won't be gone long. Be good, and listen to everything you're Aunt says. Remember: do first, ask questions later."   
He retract his head backwards and stood up straight. He walked behind their solid brick wall, and looked around him to make sure no one was watching before he apparated on the spot. Seeing that he was really gone, and that the coast was clear, Aunt Charlene turned around to face the two teenagers and said, "Well, I suppose we should be getting inside the house now, shouldn't we?" She smiled serenely, though it looked like she was making an effort to.   
She got out of the car, and went to the car's boot and took out both their trunks. Waving her wand once and muttering a spell, both trunks floated eerily out, Aunt Charlene conducting their movement, before she set them down on the concrete, and motioned for Jaimie and Remus to come out of the car. Mimi just then materialized out of nowhere, and hurriedly helped them by using her brand of magic to lift the trunks up off the ground, and speed away into the house. Jaimie and Remus walked up to Aunt Charlene, who looked at them a bit cheerily confused and said, "A bit in the way, this," She pointed to the car which was parked awkwardly so that it blocked entrance to the house. "I suppose we should move it, eh? Don't suppose you two could do magic, so I'll do it." She took out her wand once more and said, "_Locomotor car!"_   
With a bit of difficulty, Aunt Charlene moved the heavy car a few feet to the right, to give a little moving room from the gate. Panting, slightly Aunt Charlene smiled and said, "Heavy little bugger." She let out a false little laugh, and walked ahead of the Jaimie and Remus who were both wondering what exactly was happening.   
So once inside the house, Remus showed Jaimie the room she would be staying in. It seemed that Mimi had already taken their luggage up to their rooms, and had prepared the room that Jaimie would be staying in advance. It was a plain room that was painted a very pale yellow. There was a single bed in the middle of the room to the right of the door, and a bedside table next to it, a single alarm clock and a lamp on top. Her trunk lay at the end of the bed, empty, and she found that her clothes were readily folded inside a dresser in the corner, and that her school books were stacked neatly on a desk shelf, and her quills and parchments in drawers all along the face of the desk. Remus looked around and said, "Wow, last time I saw this room, Mum was fixing it up."   
He sat down on a chair in a corner and relaxed, while Jaimie took off her jacket and collapsed on the bed. She stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. It lacked the magically glowing stars that her father had put up in her room as decoration. Her dresser missed the many photographs she took herself and her closet lacked the countless amounts of clothing she owned. It would take quite some time for her to get used to it. She propped herself on her side, and looked at Remus who was politely looking around the unfamiliar room. When he noticed that she was looking at him he said, "Something you want to say?"   
Jumping up to a sitting position Jaimie said, "Yeah, what was that downstairs? When Mimi came out, Uncle Alan looked in a right state, and Aunt Charlene looked just about bursting with joy."   
"I don't know. At the station, they were acting strangely. Mum was such a nervous wreck, she doesn't usually fawn over me like that and we always go to Hogsmeade for a spot of shopping before heading home, but it was strange because we went straight home. And Dad, boy was he off his rocker. He was acting _so_ cheerful it was sickening."   
"Yeah, is it me, or has Uncle Alan aged about twenty years?" Jaimie asked, furrowing her eyebrows.   
"Yeah, I thought he was just being over worked, you know, since he works at the Ministry and all, but then he was never like that before."   
"Strange. And why did he have to leave us there, and what was up with the precaution. He's not usually like that is he?"   
"No like I said, he's acting way out of normal."   
"You don't suppose that he's an Order member do you?" Jaimie asked, playing with the corner of her pillow.   
"I don't suppose so. Dad has never struck me as the soldier sort." Remus said, thinking it over.   
They spent much of the night talking about what Remus' father could possibly be doing, until they heard a crack that resembled a gun being shot, and knew that Uncle Alan had just apparated in the house. They hurried out of Jaimie's room and sprinted down the stairs, but stopped and hid, as they saw not only Uncle Alan and Aunt Charlene in the room but five other witches and wizards as well. They all looked very worn and beaten. Indeed, Uncle Alan wouldn't have been out of place at a heavy metal rock concert. His robes were torn, and his hair was askew, the wisp of white more pronounced than ever. He had a cut on his left cheek that had been dripping blood, but was hastily stopped. The others did not look much better. A witch in purple robes was holding a towel to her wounded knee, though the flow of blood was much too strong and the blood seeped through the other side of the towel. Another man, who was in robes of green velvet, was holding his arm which seemed bent slightly wrong. The others sported bruises and small cuts, and all of their robes were ripped. Aunt Charlene and Mimi were busy running among all of them, who were seated in the den, looking very down. Aunt Charlene each gave them a bottle of some liquid, and the man in the green velvet robes was laid down on a little cot by the door to the back yard. Aunt Charlene had conjured up a splint for his seemingly broken arm, and he mumbled a tired thanks. When she saw that all 'patients' were attended to, she went to her husband and conversed to him in a low voice.   
Jaimie and Remus peered through the bars on their stair banisters, listening with bated breath to their whispered conversationg, but all to no avail. So, very carefully, they snuck downstairs and up against the wall to listen to their conversation better.   
"It was no use, it was a trap, to find out some of the Order members. But its a good thing that Frank caught on or we definitely would have been found out." Uncle Alan said, sighing.   
"So what happened to you guys?" Aunt Charlene asked.   
"Well, I didn't say we got out of their unharmed did we? No, we managed to hide ourselves, it was pretty dark in that forest, and we managed to attack some of them, but we couldn't see any of them-they were all wearing masks."   
"So where are Frank and the others? How many came with you?" Aunt Charlene asked, her voice slightly muffled. She must have come to one of the injured ones and healing them.   
"Ten, we split up into two groups, Frank, Alice, Emmeline, Marlene, and I, and then Dedalus, Benjy, Sturgis, Caradoc and Elphias. We were heading in two seperate directions so we wouldn't attract alot of attention, but then, we heard the others yell, and we met up with them, and found the Death Eaters had found them and were closing in on them so we fought. No one got seriously hurt. Dumbledore had come by then. Voldemort and the Death Eaters fled. So then, Dumbledore took Frank and the first group to Headquarters, and the rest, well, here.   
"But once we've rested we'll head back up to H.Q. Leave the kids, they're not supposed to come. Where are they anyway?"   
Jaimie and Remus looked at each other in alarm, before rushing away from the the living room and up the staircase and straight into Remus' room, which was nearest. They both dived onto Remus' bed, panting, and both glad they got out of there in time.   
Jaimie looked at Remus who was looking thinking deeply. They had just heard more than they should have. They were at the point of talking about it when Uncle Alan and Aunt Charlene appeared at the door. Uncle Alan looking much better in new clothes.   
"Hey, Jaimie, did you see your room? Did you like it?"   
Jaimie nodded, unable to speak.   
"Good hey listen, we're going to be gone, but I don't know for how long. Do you think that you'll be alright? Mimi'll be here, so food won't be a problem."   
"Yeah, we'll be fine. But where are you going?" Remus asked, trying to look as innocent as possible.   
"Just out, we're going to meet a few friends, don't worry we won't be gone long. See you then." He stepped out of Remus' room, but Remus called him back in.   
"Dad, Mum."   
"Yes, Remus?"   
"I love you both."   
Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan both looked at each other, and then at their sixteen year-old son.   
"We love you, too, Remus." They walked in and gave him a hug, and then they hugged Jaimie before they walked out of the door, and closed it with a snap.   


* * *

_A/N: Oh yes, as you all know, Sixth year was the year that Sirius had tricked Snape into prodding the knot on the Whomping Willow, and had sent Snape to see Remus in werewolf form. I should have said something about it here, but remember, this is kind of about Jaimie, and it wouldn't make sense that she knows since the only people that did know were Remus, Sirius, James, Snape and I think Peter. So, if you were confused about that, I'm sorry, now you know. Thanks once again for your support._


	9. 16

**16**

_Every night I dream the same dream_   
_Of getting older all the time_   
_I ask you now, what does this mean?_   
_Are these problems just in my mind?_   
_Things are easy when you're a child_   
_But now these pressures have dropped on my head_   
_The length I've gone are just long miles_   
_Would they be shorter if I were dead_

_Every time I look in my past_   
_I always wish I was there_   
_I wish my youth would forever last_   
_Why are these times so unfair_

That night, Jaimie was awoken by an unknown source. At first she thought that it was due to the fact that she had kicked her blanket off of herself, but then noticed that a pale greenish light was flowing into her bedroom through her window. She got up to check it out, but her door slammed open, and she let out a shriek. A hunched figure stood in her door frame, cast in shadow. However, when the green light hit his face, she relaxed-it was only Remus.   
"What's going on?" He asked sleepily.   
"I don't know, I just woke up, this stupid green light woke me. Damn muggles." She cursed, as Remus walked in.   
"I know, I was sleeping and then I heard a few screams, I thought the neighbors were having a party, but I couldn't see, my window doesn't face them." He walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains, and let out a yell.   
For in the distance, where Jaimie supposed that the nearest house stood, was a shining, neon green skull, a snake protruding from its mouth. The skull revolved slowly in its spot some feet in the sky. And where ther roof of the house should be was nothing.   
"Oh my . . ." Jaimie answered, taking a step back. It was the same thing that she had seen in the picture of the Prewett's death, at every murder that Voldemort had committed. It was the Dark Mark.   
"Oh my god, he's here! He's here in Nottingham! He's everywhere!" Jaimie cried, shivering with fear. Remus hurriedly came to her, and gripped her shoulders.   
"Calm down." He said, "Calm down, don't worry, just sit down, and relax. Let's wait until Mum or Dad come up and give us instructions."   
With great difficulty, Jaimie was forced to do as Remus bid. But then, another figure, much smaller and skinnier than Remus appeared at the door. It was Mimi, and she was clutching two tiny pieces of parchment.   
"Master Remus, Miss Jaimie, quick! Master Dumbledore and Master Lupin has ordered Mimi to give you these papers, and for you to follow me! Hurry, put on your jackets, and hurry." She was absolutely frantic, and waving the two parchment about.   
"Mimi, what's happening?" Remus asked, his voice strangely calm.   
"There is dark things happening Master Remus. Mimi must gets you to the woods now. Mimi is under strict orders, sir." She handed Remus the two papers, and handed one to Jaimie, who, now regaining her composure, read them quickly.   
"I don't understand what this is about, Mimi. What are we supposed to do?" Remus said, puzzled.   
"You is to memorize those, sir. And to follow me, but you is to burn those right away, sir, right after you memorizes them. Please hurry sir, before the dark wizards come!" Mimi ran out of the room, and came back instantly with Remus' jacket.   
Grabbing her own from the chair, Jaimie read the paper over again, in curvy letters, was written. "The headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix may be found in Lorence Shack, Nottingham."   
Jaimie looked at Remus in puzzlement, as Mimi had both grabbed their hands and had pulled them forward. They went down the stairs and into the dark living room; Aunt Charlene nor Uncle Alan in sight. She led them through the kitchen and out the back door, and to the hedges that seperated the Lupin house from the forest. Mimi went straight to a silver watering can, kicked it aside, and walked straight through. Apparently, this part of the hedge was a hidden passage, much like the barrier at platform nine and three-quarters.   
They were just entering the forest when Jaimie heard people's voices yelling to each other from the direction of the house. Mimi hurried their pace to a run, and Jaimie and Remus struggled to keep up, the figure of the house-elf blending very well with the forest. Remus had lit his wand, but Mimi had then told him to turn it off as they could easily be spotted in the dark.   
So after running blind for some time, deeper and deeper into the forest, they stopped in the middle of a clearing, a single stone well in front of them. They could no longer hear voices, but the light of the Dark Mark could still be seen faintly. Remus and Jaimie both looked at each other and then at Mimi, who was looking at them with her big, brown dinner plate eyes.   
"You must recite what you memorized in you heads, sir, did you burn the papers?" Mimi said, as she closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again, staring in amazement at a point some ten feet in front of them.   
With nothing else to do, Jaimie recited the sentence she memorized in her head, and when she had reached the part about Lorence Shack, a run down shack appeared in the middle of the clearing, almost as if growing out of nowhere. She stared at it in amazement, for she had never seen anything like it happening andlooked at Remus, who had a blank, open eyed expression on his face, and happily thought that she was not going crazy.   
"Can you see it, Master Remus, Miss Jaimie?"   
They both nodded in silence, and the tiny elf ran toward the wooden door of the shack and opened it to reveal a simple room, a single crate in the corner adorning it. There were two windows opposite each other in the shack, but when Jaimie looked into them, she didn't see the dark trees outside, but three shadowy figures, moving around inside, their features obscured.   
Panicking, Jaimie said, "There's someone outside!"   
Remus looked in the direction she was looking and said, "No, there aren't. That's just a Foe Glass."   
"What? How do you know?" Jaimie asked.   
"I just do." Remus said, stting down on the crate.   
Just then, the floor of the shack started to rumble, and slowly descend. Alarmed, Remus stood up and looked around in surprise. Mimi didn't look the least bit perturbed, on the contrary she looked rather calm, quite as if she were at home and waiting to be given orders. Slowly, as the distance between the walls of the shack and themselves grew, another floor, this one retracting from the side, covered the now gaping hole that would have been the floor. Rather nervous at being stuck in the middle of the ground under a hidden shack, Jaimie stood apprehensively, unable to wait for the time when the elevator-like floor would stop.   
As the floor descended down, they saw the white of a wall. Lower and lower they sank until the floor shook to a stop, and revealed to them a white room, with a single staircase that led to an upper area, and and three doors on each of the other walls. Mimi walked forward, and opened the door that was in front of them. They entered a sort of relaxing area, the walls were covered with bookshelves stacked with books; comfy armcharis and sofas lay around a roaring fire, and who should be sitting on the two armchairs, but Sirius Black and James Potter, looking very smug in their pajamas and bath robes.   
"Moony, Jaimie! What a pleasant surprise!" James said, standing up, Sirius following suit. His hair was sticking up in some places, and he looked just about ready to fall asleep in his spot.   
"Do you know what's going on?" Remus asked, sitting down on the sofa. Jaimie proceeded to take his lead, but Sirius led her away, and set her on his lap.   
"Nah, haven't got a clue. Only thing I knew was my dad was waking me up and slipped me and Padfoot these parchments." He protruded from his robe pocket the familiar piece of parchment, the same setence written in the same familiar scrawl.   
"Told us to memorize it quick as anything, and then burn it. Then he led us to the fireplace, and took us by Floo Powder to this place, but they didn't follow. I think they apparated at the house." Sirius said sleepily, as Jaimie snuggled closer to him, fitting easily against him and closed her eyes.   
"Hmm, so you don't know why you guys are here?" Remus asked.   
"Yep." James replied.   
"Well, we know." Jaimie said, opening her eyes and sitting up, Sirius groaning with pain as she did so.   
"Sorry." She stroked his head, and then continued, "I woke up, and Remus came into my room and we saw the Dark Mark at the nearest house. We figured that Voldemort must have been there and was coming our way. Dumbledore and my uncle must've been thinking the same because they gave orders to Mimi to take us here, and they gave us the exact same parchment." She showed them the piece of paper and put it away again.   
"Master Lupin says to Mimi that you must burns it." Mimi appeared at the door, holding a tray of tea.   
She set down the tray on a table in front of them, before walking out of the door. The four of them took out the pieces of parchment, and looked at each other in confusion. Jaimie, seeing that no one would very well start, was ready to fling the piece of parchment into the fire, when a rough voice had ordered her not to.   
They all looked around for the owner of the voice, and found that a very appalling head of a man lay in the fireplace, unperterbed by the flames that were licking his face.   
"Don't throw it into the fire. It'll be easy for people to just get them through floo powder, and restore them back to life." The head was truly ghastly. Not one inch of his face was scar free, he looked as if he had gone through the mill one too many times. A chunk was missing from his large nose, and his eyes, were mismatched. His left eye was a dark brown and was normal, but his right eye was large and round, and electric blue, and it swung around and around in its socket, so that when he looked at Jaimie, his left eye was focused on her, whereas his right eye was more often than not just a plain white orb, his hair hanging in greasy strands around his face.   
Jaimie jumped back from him in alarm, right onto Sirius' foot, the action seemed to wake him up and he stood up abruptly, stopping Jaimie from moving any further. The three boys stared in apprehension at he man in the fireplace, they're eyes wide with shock, uncertain whether to hex him, or to welcome him. The man didn't seem to need to wait for an answer because in a moment, his head disappeared, and then, the flames turned green, and he appeared in front of them, body and all.   
"So you must be with the Potters and the Lupins. You all probably want an explanation about why your here, but you can't have them yet. Just know that you are safe while you are here. Follow me," He led them away out of the room and into the white hall where Jaimie and Remus first saw. The man led them up the stairs and into a the upper floor. They emerged in a long hallway, which ended with a window at the very end, though they couldn't see where it opened up to. There were five doors on each side, he opened a door to his left and revealed a rather plain blue room, with two twin beds seperated by a bedside table, on which stood a lamp. There was a bathroom off of one door, a dresser and single chair in the corner, but that was all that was in the room.   
The man motioned to James and Remus and said, "You two will sleep in this room, don't talk, go right to sleep. If I here one voice coming from this room, I will place a curse on you so that you won't be able to talk for twenty four hours. If I see that you're not sleeping, then I will seperate you. And trust me, Mr. Potter," James, who stood behind him, had suddenly come to attention, as he had been laughing behind the man's back, "I know if you are not asleep."   
Jaimie had a strange feeling that the electric blue, swiveling eye could see through things. Consciously, she folded her arms over her chest, and rubbed her arm. Sirius, always seeming to be in tune with her feelings, put his arm around her, and pulled her to his side. The man ushered James and Remus in, closing the door in their faces as they waved good night to Sirius and Jaimie who were left in the hallway with the very imposing man.   
He turned around and opened the door across from the one James and Remus were staying in, and revealed another room similar to the one before it, though this room was beige. Taking Jaimie by the arm, and tearing her away from Sirius he forced her inside, and said, "Miss Dijon this will be your room for tonight," He slammed the door in her face, as Sirius started to say, his voice now muffled by the door, "You let James and Remus stay together! Why can't I stay with her?"   
"Because," came the man's reply, "You are male, she is female. Do you actually think that I don't know what you are capable of?"   
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sirius' voice said, much lower than before.   
Jaimie couldn't hear the man's response, or if he even did answer Sirius, for no more voices came from the hallway. So, at a loss at what to do, she flung herself onto the bed nearest the doorway and lay there, unable to sleep from anxiety. What was going on? Why was Voldemort here? Had he come to finish her off? These thoughts flew through her mind as she lay on that bed. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, first from the events that were going on outside, and then to Snape and Damion and the train ride today, or was it yesterday? She didn't know. She thought about how Snape had put the Cruciatus Curse on her, the mind boggling pain that had flowed through her veins etched vividly in her mind, and wondered if Snape was out there, killing off the next door neighbors, and wondered if Damion, the man that she used to care about, was one of them, too.   
Slowly, and subconsciously she fell into an uneasy sleep, and dreamt of the day that had changed her life forever. Her family's bodies haunting her sleep, their dead and lifeless faces looming closer and closer to her, becoming real; the high, cold, pitiless laughter that she presumed was Voldemort growing to a deafening roar. He was going to kill her too! He was going to kill Lily and Sirius and James and Peter and Remus, all of them, and laugh in her face.   
Jaimie's eyes snapped open, and she let out a high pitched scream, and momentarily heard the sound of pounding footsteps outside her door and an unknown voice saying, "We'll be right there Jaimie!" Though she didn't quite understand what these words meant. She was sweating, and her pillow was ripped to shreds, the feathers which downed it flying around her. The door swung open, a group of people stood crowding around the open door, their wands ready.   
Jaimie stared in apprehension at the large group of people at the doorway. She forgot for a moment where she was and half-expected to be inside her own home, and instead of the large group, her parents walking briskly in, comforting her. She shook these images out of her mind and tried to focus on the people that were there. She didn't recognize any of them, save the heavily scarred man, who scanned the room briefly, his wand held ready to attack, his face even more distorted by the look of concentration, before putting his wand away and was proceeding to say something before he was knocked aside as Aunt Charlene came bustling inside, closely followed by a round faced woman, and Mrs. Potter.   
They all three filed to the side of Jaimie's bed, Mrs. Potter grabbing the pillow from the other bed, as Jaimie's pillow was now completely useless. She placed it under Jaimie's head, against her anguished protests, and forced the bewildered girl upon it. Most of the group left toward the staircase, save Remus, James and Sirius who stood faithfully at the doorway; unsure whether to step inside. The three women kneeled at Jaimie's bedside, asking her strange and rather embarassing questions.   
"What's your birthday, dear?" The round-faced woman asked.   
"No, Alice, if he was possessing her, then he would probably know that already. No you've got to ask her questions like how much she weighs. She doesn't even know how much she weighs." Aunt Charlene said knowingly.   
"Yes, but isn't that something teenaged girls are supposed to know?" Mrs. Potter asked, slightly curious.   
"Not Jaimie." Aunt Charlene said. "And if she did, I doubt she knows anymore. She's so thin, hasn't been eating right, the poor girl."   
"Well, we should do a couple of spells to see if-"   
"That is enough, Charlene, Alice, Kate. I don't believe that she is being posessed or is working for Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore stood in the hallway, looking at the scene from his partially hidden position. Sirius, Remus and James jumped when they heard him, and quickly went inside the room to the opposite bed to sit down. Dumbledore walked in, and smiled benignly at Jaimie, which made her feel much better.   
"Now we didn't say that we thought she worked for Voldemort. We're just saying that maybe one of those confounded Death Eaters or maybe You-Know-Who himself was possessing her or-"   
"She has had nothing more than a dream. Nothing harmful. So I believe that you are much more needed downstairs than up here. She has the company of her three closest friends to confide in. I'm sure she'll be fine."   
Jaimie gave Dumbledore a smile of complete gratitude as Aunt Charlene said in a defeated voice, "You know best, Albus."   
Presently they left the room, Dumbledore following closely, and gave Jaimie a wink. Sirius, who had been waiting impatiently to talk to Jaimie immediately came forward and said, "Are you alright?"   
"Yeah, I-I'm fine. Dumbledore pretty much explained it." She didn't know why she was lying. She just knew that she didn't want anyone fussing over her having dreams about her dead family or seeing her friends being killed. Aunt Charlene already thought she was being possessed by Voldemort, and she really didn't want her to worry further.   
She leaned forward from her reclined position and threw the pillow that was supporting her back to the other bed. Remus ducked to get out of its line of fire and gave an indignant cry.   
"Sorry Remy," Jaimie said apologetically as she stood up.   
She rubbed her eyes and looked for a window so as to avoid the suspicious stares from the three of them. Upon discovering that there were no windows, she instead asked, "What time is it?"   
"I don't know, you woke us up." James said, with an accompanying yawn.   
"Sorry." Jaimie said sheepishly.   
"Nah, its alright. But I suppose that we should go down and get something to eat now that were up. I'm starved." Remus said. He looked a bit pale, and dark rings were beginning to emerge under his eyes.   
"Is it the big night tonight?" James asked, upon observing Remus' visage.   
"No, I've still got two days ." Remus said, a bit strained. He rumpled his already bed-head and followed James out of the beige room.   
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked, once the two boys had left.   
Jaimie looked at Sirius, he was looked as if he was about to transform, his face a bit pale, and little ringlets were forming under his eyes, his hair not as sleek as it always was. He looked very tired, he probably hadn't gotten much sleep that night.   
"Yeah, I'm fine. But how about you? You look dreadful." Jaimie said, taking his hand.   
"This is what happens when I don't get enough sleep." Sirius said, sighing.   
"Oh, well I suppose you could always take a nap in the afternoon."   
"And waste a perfectly good day? I don't think so!" Sirius said, regaining that manic glint.   
"Well, if you say so . . ."   
They walked down to the entrance room. The white of the paint causing Jaimie and the others squinting and trying to get used to the light. They stopped in the middle of the room, looking at the three doors in uncertainty, as the contents of two of the rooms were undiscovered to them. Jaimie supposed that there was a kitchen, seeing as this headquarters or burrow or whatever it was had an office and bedrooms. She wasn't right in guessing for Mimi had just come out of the door at the bottom of the staircase and said, "Master Remus, Mister James, Mister Sirius, Miss Jaimie, you is expected in the kitchen. Come, come breakfast is served."   
Mimi had then disappeared behind the swinging door, and the four of them followed Mimi, the door narrowly missing Jaimie's nose as it rebounded after Remus. They emerged inside a burgundy colored dining room, a large oval table in the middle, nine mis-matched chairs placed in no certain order around it. Most of the seats were filled by the people that Jaimie recognized from upstairs.   
Upon their arrival, the once buzzing conversation slowly died and the heavily scarred man said gruffly, "Oh, so you haven't been attacked, then?"   
Jaimie looked puzzled at the other three, unsure to whom he referred to. After a confused minute, she said, "Um, no, sir. I was just having a bad dream, is all. Sir." Jaimie stood awkwardly by the door, the heavily scarred man standing up from his seat, his unsettling eye swiveling all ways again.   
"Moody, come on now, she's just a kid, don't be so tough on her." Said a man with a goatee. He stretched out his hand to her and said, "I'm Sturgis Podmore. Pleased to meet you Jaimie Dijon, your the daughter of Charles and Belle Dijon? Fine people, couldn't have met better folks anywhere," Jaimie swelled with pride, and released Sturgis' hand, which then jumped to Remus', "Well, you must be Remus, your parents talk about you very much."   
"Hope they're good things." Remus said.   
The others at the table laughed.   
Sturgis then turned to James, "You must be James Potter. I've heard that your quite the Quidditch Player. I've played for Ravenclaw as Beater in my day, what position do you play?"   
"I play Chaser for the Gryffindor team." James said, swelling with pride at having been congratulated at the thing he knew best.   
Sturgis looked at Sirius last. "You must be Sirius Black. Your quite the trouble maker, I've heard. Nice to meet you."   
Sirius shook Sturgis' hand politely, his jaw clenched. After a very awkward moment, broken by the arrival of the round-faced woman known as Alice and Mimi who held in their hands platters of food. So taking a few seats, Sirius and Jaimie sitting between the Potters and the Lupins; Sirius and Jaimie subconsciously linking hands. Mrs. Potter and Aunt Charlene taking note with extreme enthusiasm.   
"Hello dear, how are you feeling? Do you feel better?" Said Mrs. Potter, leaning over Sirius to address Jaimie.   
"Hello, Mrs. Potter, I feel fine, thank you for asking." Jaimie said, turning her head to look at the lady.   
James could be seen stopping his conversation with Remus to his nosy mother. He slapped his forehead, as Remus turned, and looked at his mother who was looking with the same amount of curiosity. They both groaned and watched the upcoming interrogation.   
"Oh, no problem, are you and Sirius, _together?"_ She looked at their interlocked hands, and they promptly let go, Jaimie placing them in her lap and Sirius' supporting his chin.   
"No we're just friends, Mrs. Potter." Sirius said, smiling convincingly.   
"Oh, well, I just thought that you'd make a lovely couple." Mrs. Potter plowed on, James now turning red.   
"Oh yes, you would be perfect together, better than that Malfoy boy, wha'ts his name-Saxon, is it?" Aunt Charlene said, more to Mrs. Potter than to anyone else.   
"What Malfoy boy?" Said the heavily scarred man, named Moody.   
Jaimie's eyes widened in disbelief. Had everyone been listening to their conversation?   
"Oh its nothing Alastor. Just a teenage relationship, that's all."   
"You don't know what the Malfoys are capable of, Charlene."   
"Oh Alastor, he's just a boy."   
"Yes, but all boys have a nasty tendency to grow into men. You can't stop them from changing, and you certainly can't tell them where to go. They may be teenagers now, Charlene, but what about a couple years from now, when Voldemort has come for them? You think that he'll consider them as teenagers?"   
Aunt Charlene bit her lip and opted not to retaliate, Uncle Alan chose this time to speak, "Ok now, I don't think we should get into fights. Not when times are as dangerous as they are now, and especially not with Jaimie's nor anyone's love life. Let's just eat this meal in peace, please?"   
He gave everyone a you-should-know-better expressiong, before he sat back down, and gave Jaimie a smile. Remus, who sat next to him, was shaking his head in embarrassment, though Uncle Alan didn't see this. Once Uncle Alan had turned away, Jaimie dropped her cheery grin and buried her face in her hands, and felt like melting into the seat, before placing her hands on her lap once more, Sirius' hands going under the table, and grasping it, absently stroking her hand softly with his thumb.   
The rest of the meal went smoothly enough. Aunt Charlene avoided Moody's gaze the entire time, and who could blame her? He was very demanding, and hardly entertaining. However, Jaimie stole a glance at the man when she though he wasn't looking. Though his normal, black eye was focused on his food, his hand clasping his hip flask, his blue eye didn't waver from its positin on the table where Sirius and Jaimie's hands were conjoined. And with the suspicion that the strange eye could see through solid objects, she promptly let go of Sirius' hand, and placed it on the table, so as not to have anymore questionings about her relationship with him.   
So when the meal was done, a new question arose if not in the others, but in Jaimie. What exactly was the reason they were here? She laid down her spoon and fork, and looked around at the others, who still had not finished their food. Though when her eyes came to Remus, she was surprised to see that he was looking patiently at the others, and nodded when Jaimie looked at him. He cleared his throat and said in a clear voice, "Um, excuse me, Mister-Mister Moody."   
Moody looked up at Remus with a look of surprise. His eyes, both of them, boring straight into Remus'. Jaimie heard the sound of the chair creaking as Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, before Moody said, "What is it, Mr. Lupin."   
Remus glanced at his father, briefly, before looking back at Moody, "Well sir, I-"   
"We were wondering-" Jaimie interjected.   
"If you don't mind-" James added.   
"If you could tell us what we're doing here." Sirius finished.   
The other adults looked at the kids in incredulity. First at being asked so plainspoken at what was going on, and then at the way they were asked it. It was rather comical. All the adults began talking at once, the words they spoke hardly discernable. But then, an unfamiliar man, who hadn't introduced himself to them yet stood up. He seemed highly familiar, and yet she didn't know who he was. Nonetheless, he stood up and ordered the room into silence, to which they obliged.   
The man cleared his throat and said, "You haven't met me yet, I don't think, but I'm sure you've seen me before. I am Frank Longbottom, you've met my wife, Alice, and I was at the end of term feast. I noticed that you had seen me leave, and didn't make quite the quiet entry and exit as I had hoped. But, that is of no importance. I assume that Albus has plenty of trust in you, seeing as you have gone this far. And although we will not divulge all that we have found, I think it proper to tell you at least who we are, since you are coming of age and that it will be getting harder and harder to keep you all safe. We are the Order of the Pheonix." He said, pausing for effect.   
"Yes, we know who you all are." Jaimie said, unamused.   
"Yes, the Prophet glorifies you all to a degree." Remus added, leaning back on his chair.   
A bit perturbed, but certainly not diverted, the man continued. "Yes, and well, you probably know that we fight against Voldemort. You are in the headquarters of the Order, and if you so choose to betray us all, which I highly doubt, and tell any other its location, you will find that you couldn't possibly. It us protected by the Fidelius Charm, and I will not elaborate further, for I am sure that you all know the Fidelius Charm. If you find that you are in trouble, you are to immediately come here, but only under the pretense that you are alone."   
"Alright, but that doesn't explain what you lot actually do." James commented.   
"We fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and we also try to save the lives of his victims. Is that clear enough for you?" Moody said, grumpily.   
"Yes, and I have one more question." Jaimie said, testing for their approval, when Moody neither objected nor said anything she continued, "I was wondering if you knew if my parents were killed because they were in the Order, and whether they fought for their lives. Because, if they did, then that would mean that they had fought a reason to die, and weren't just picked to be a victim."   
Uncle Alan looked at Frank to handle this one. He agreed so Uncle Alan turned to Jaimie, grasped her shoulders tightly and said, "Yes, Jaimie, your father was in the Order when You-know-who killed them, and yes, they all fought bravely for their lives."   
"They died to protect you and those they loved, and I suppose that you can say, that while their deaths weren't fair, they were doing something right. And, even though that they are dead today, what they did well never go forgotten. And I want you to know, that I am forever thankful to be here, and that I will always be there to help you Jaimie. No matter what. I owe it to them-"   
"We owe it to them." Uncle Alan added.   
They both grasped Jaimie into a hug, Aunt Charlene forgetting her dignity and crying on Jaimie's shoulder, Aunt Charlene pulled Remus in, who reluctantly followed suit, though he did not cry. The other Order members took this as a cue to leave, quietly thanking Mimi for the dinner. Jaimie found it quite awkward to be the nucleus of the many armed Lupin hug. She found it even more disconcerting to see Aunt Charlene cry. She had always seemed graceful and well-kept and balanced, and to see Aunt Charlene cry like this rocked the boat that Jaimie was in much more.   
Later that day, when they had gone back to the Lupin residence to find it in shambles and were cleaning up the mess; Jaimie realized that it was all Voldemort's fault. He had caused the security of lives to come crashing down. He was the reason why so many were left homeless, familyless, even lifeless. He caused Aunt Charlene's tears, hardened the heart of Alastor Moody, and lost her the only family that she had known. She thought about her uncle's words; how her parents had died for a cause, had died bravely. She wondered if she ever met Voldemort if she would rise to the occasion. _Yes,_ she thought. She remembered the images of her best friends dead, of Sirius dead, and of the cold laughter that was Voldemort. His laughter echoed in her mind, reverberating through the corners of her brain. Jaimie clenched and unclenched her fist. She looked out of the window, as a solitary bird flew through the pink and purple sky. Suddenly Moody's words came floating to her, "_You can't stop them from changing, and you certainly can't tell them where to go. They may be teenagers now, but what about a couple of years from now . . . "_   
The sun goes down, the world still turns, and though they were still kids, they sure wouldn't be forever, and it was only a matter of time til they were all affected by Voldemort.   
  
  


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_A/N: Oh my god I've got a week 'til school starts! What am I gonna do?! I'm so sorry to tell you this, but since school will be starting in a few days, the updates will come less and less, probably every weekend or so, I'm so sorry! But please bear with me! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, you guys rock!_


	10. Strawberry Fields Forever

**Strawberry Fields Forever**

_Living is easy with eyes closed_   
_Misunderstanding all you see_   
_It's getting hard to be someone_   
_but it all works out_   
_It doesn't matter much to me_

_Let me take you down_   
_cause I'm going to strawberry fields_   
_Nothing is real_   
_and nothing to get hung about_   
_Strawberry fields forever_   


Early the next day, the whole gang could be found in Jaimie's room, hovering creepily over the peacefully sleeping form of Jaimie, trying to get her to wake up. Lily, whose face was just inches from her best friend's was whispering in a sing-songy voice, "Wake up, Jaimie, wake up! This is-" She looked to the other boys for inspiration, but was knocked aside by Sirius who said, "Let the men handle this."   
"Ok, where are the men?" Lily asked, placing her hands on her hips.   
Sirius chose to ignore this comment from the red-head and beckoned the three other boys forward. Remus refused, for as he put it, "She's like a tiger who's disturbed when eating."   
So Peter, James and Sirius rose to the occasion and were ready to spring onto Jaimie's bed, when they found out with a nasty shock that Jaimie was gone. Lily was unable to control her laughter as Jaimie leapt onto Sirius' back from behind and wrestled him to the bed, digging her fingers deep into his dark locks.   
"Hey! Not fair!" Sirius said, as Jaimie sat atop him, messing his hair up further.   
The others decided to watch the scene from afar, a look of deep amusement on their faces.   
After a few moments, when they thought that they had seen enough, James chose to say, "You know, people could misinterpret that for something else."   
Jaimie, out of breath, said, "Oops." and picked herself up off of Sirius, so that he stood up, his hair resembling that of James'. Peeved, he set about on the task of cleaning his hair up. Jaimie stood up and stretched, and ushered Sirius off of the bed so that she can make it up. While Jaimie did this, the others looked at the room. Much of it was still in a mess. Her chest of drawers had been rummaged through, its contents spewed across the floor. Jaimie and the Lupins had been working most of the day before on cleaing up the house that was looted by the Death Eaters when they had attacked.   
Having finished cleaning up her bed, Jaimie chose an outift out of the pile of clothes on the floor, and was told to leave the rest for Mimi to fold and put away. They walked down the stairs and into the living room where Aunt Charlene sat, sipping a cup of tea and listening to the Witch's Wireless Network, and greeted her good morning. She stood up hastily and said, "Good morning Jaimie, dear. Do you mind just nipping over to your house and seperating things over there, love? Unless you don't want to, then your uncle Alan and I could do it-"   
"No, Aunt Charlene, its fine, I'll do it." Jaimie said with a helpful smile.   
"Thank you, dear." Aunt Charlene rushed to her, and hugged her tightly.   
Then she turned to the others and said, "Well, I don't suppose that you'd like a spot of tea before you leave, but, take this, anyway," She handed them a wickerwork basket, "It has sandwiches and a thermos of pumpkin juice; I think I'm right in assuming that you won't be back for lunch?"   
They all looked at each other; Remus nodded his head in agreement and took the basket of sandwiches she had handed to him.   
"Alright, Remus darling, Jaimie, take care. Lily nice to meet you, and you four," She addressed the retreating backs of Remus, Peter, Sirius and James, "Don't get into trouble!"   
The four boys turned their heads and nodded to her, Lily waving good-bye. She took a fist full of floo powder and flung it into the crackling flames and disappeared to Jaimie's house. Remus went next, his mother giving him a last precaution to stay out of trouble, followed by James and Peter. Sirius was letting Jaimie go before him, when Aunt Charlene had beckoned to her.   
Jaimie turned around. Aunt Charlene was standing humbly with her hands folded before her, smiling benignly. For some strange reason that was unknown to Jaimie, she looked much older and wispier than ever. Aunt Charlene, who was her mother's sister, was a very beautiful woman and she was also a healer at St. Mungo's. But now, she looked thin and worn, ever since the time she had seen them at the funeral; Uncle Alan, too. Was she sick?   
Aunt Charlene opened her mouth to say something, but in a moment of indecision, decided to say, "Have a good time, dear."   
Jaimie nodded, and gave a small smile. "Thanks, Aunt Charlene." She then grasped a handful of emerald powder and threw them into the flames. She stepped inside the grate and called out "Fourteen Alton Gardens!" And spun away to the house that she had called home for so long.   
She emerged in her living room, no one in sight. Sirius came spinning out of the fireplace after her, accidentally knocking her over, but prevented her from falling.   
Sirius straightened up and said, "James, Remus? Peter? Lily, you guys here? Hello?"   
"Hey Jaimie, Sirius; Up here!" Came the sound of Lily's voice from upstairs.   
So they exited out of the living room, and hurried up the staircase, they reached the landing but stopped, unsure which room the other four were in.   
"Lily, where are you guys?" Jaimie asked, checking her own bedroom first.   
She spotted them on the floor under the window, going through the box of pictures that Jaimie had left on her bed the last time she had entered her room. When Jaimie and Sirius appeared at the door, they all looked up at them. Lily said, "Come on, you never showed me these pictures." She held up five or six photographs, and swung them. The little miniature people in them clinging to the white sides for balance.   
"Well, to tell you the truth, I've kind of forgotten them." Jaimie said offhandedly as she descended to the floor and took some of the pictures Lily had handed to her.   
"Oh, and wook at the cute wittle Jaimie in her diapews!" James said in a mock baby tone. He was holding out a baby picture of Jaimie in her diapers happily throwing slimy green blobs of what appeared to be baby food.   
"And I had good reason not to show you." Jaimie said, blankly, snatching the picture out of his hand and placing it under the whole pile of photgraphs.   
Sirius had taken a seat on the floor beside Jaimie and took a handful of photos, rifling through them. He pulled one out an old photograph of a beautiful lady in a flowy dress, holding an umbrella over her head fashionably.   
He showed the photograph to Jaimie and said, "Who's this? She's very pretty."   
Jaimie gazed at the picture, and bit her lip. At length she said, "That's my mother."   
Lily, James and Remus both stopped looking at her pictures and looked over at the one in Sirus' hand.   
"Oh." He said lamely and looked away. Jaimie grabbed his hand and stopped him from burying the photo.   
"Wait. I want to keep it."   
"You do?" He asked surprised.   
Jaimie nodded her head. "I haven't seen that picture in ages. She was a model you know. That was one of her modeling pictures when she was in her twenties."   
"She's pretty." Lily said, as Jaimie handed her the picture and held it gently in her hands.   
Peter, who was walking casually around the room and looked at Jaimie's various trinkets-she had collected quite a few. He had come upon Jaimie's dresser and the various pictures of her friends, who upon spotting Peter, did not actually give him a second glance but continued talking animatedly to one another.   
Jaimie looked up at his lone figure, desperate for a change of subject and said, "You interested in those, Peter?"   
"A bit," He answered evasively.   
"Right." Jaimie said, did not continue the conversation, but continued rifling through the magical photos. She came upon many of herself and Lily, and of Remus and his family. James had unfortunately stumbled upon another embarassing baby photo, but fortunately did not manage to see it well enough for Jaimie had caught sight of it and taken it away hastily. Peter's voice then suddenly cut through the air.   
"Hey, Jaimie, who's this?"   
She looked around to see Peter gazing at something on her bedside table. She walked over to him, grasped the picture frame and looked deep into it. She smiled to herself and laughed out loud; it was the picture taken at the birthday party that she had unearthed and put on display the day she and Sirius had gone out on a late night stroll. She could see Dominique in the corner, a look of complete misery plastered on her six-year-old face. Jaimie let out another giggle that the others heard, and they came over, Peter asking, "What's so funny? Who are those people in the picture?"   
Sirius looked at the picture over Jaimie's shoulder and gave a sound of impatience. He slapped Peter in the back of the head and said, "Its Jaimie and Remus, you git. Isn't that obvious?"   
In defense, Peter said, "Hey, that could be anybody!"   
"Yeah, but how many red-heads do we know?" Sirius said, shaking his head.   
"Alright, just be quiet! Can I see the picture?" Lily asked, as Jaimie handed her the frame instantly.   
They all went back to the box, but instead of digging deeper into it, Jaimie placed the lid on it, carried it to her bed and said, "I don't think we should look through any more of my pictures. Let'rs just get to the task that we were supposed to do."   
But they found this slightly painstaking. They didn't know where to start, or how to; it just didn't seem right to move and box things when three-fourths of its owners weren't there to delegate where to put them. But the job was still needed to be done, so they split up into two groups: James and Remus, for Lily did not want to be partnered with James and James didn't want Remus to partner with Lily, took control of Dominique's room; their laughter could be heard all the way to the living room where Lily and Peter had volunteered to clean up, but since Peter wasn't strong enough nor was he of legal age yet, could do little to help Lily who moved all the furniture aside by herself with her wand. Jaimie and Sirius tackled her parent's room; though this proved a highly complicated job as there were many things in the room that were magically kept together, and as their birthdays were still yet to come, asked James, who, despite what he told the Head Boy and Girl, was seventeen and was able to do magic freely.   
Once her parent's canopy bed was down, this left the two to sort Jaimie's parent's belongings, roll them into newspapers so as not to get damaged, and place them in boxes. They put all of her parent's robes, cloaks and other clothes in a pile that would be donated to a shop that sold second-hand belongings. Jaimie had found a bag of make-up that was on her mother's vanity, and remembered fondly once when she was much younger, that she would set herself on the same padded vanity seat and pretend to be putting make-up on herself or lean enthusiastically over the the table and watch her mother powder her pale cheeks.   
Jaimie pulled back the familiar pink, padded seat and set herself upon it, staring distastefully at her image in the vanity mirror as Sirius was busy wrapping newspaper over a procelain doll . It had been so long since she last looked at her image in a mirror. She just wasn't as concerned with her apperance as she was before, and it certainly did change. The face she had seen a year ago definitely looked much better.   
Jaimie tore her eyes away from the girl she saw in front of her and noticed a pretty box with unfamiliar markings upon it sitting untouched on the table and opened the lid, a familiar, tinkling tune started up; but sitting in large coils like snakes were long, gold necklaces, silver bracelets, earrings with emerald or diamonds. She always saw her mother with these on, whenever she had gone to parties or fancy dinners. She took a pearl necklace out of the musical box and held it up to her neck. The thick, milky white orbs shined with an incandescent glow from the open window. Sirius noticed what she was doing and came over and whispered in her ear, "You look beautfiul."   
"Thanks." Jaimie said, her cheeks turning pink. She put away the pearl necklace back into her mother's box of jewelry and said, "These were my mother's. She was a Squib you know. My grandpa and grandma sent her to a muggle school instead. But when she met my dad, that didn't seem to matter. She was always so happy with him. She used to tell me stories about how my dad would take her on broom rides around the city. She told me that he had a secret place right under a large willow tree at his parent's house in the country, and he would take her under the leaves and conjure fireflies from his wand and make them light up in the leaves. She said that they had their first kiss under a tree, and she knew that it was meant to be after that. She was wonderful. They were all wonderful. I wish I could have told them that."   
She gazed emptily at the bottom of the mirror, and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Sirius smiled sadly at her and kneeled down to look her in the eyes. He placed his fingers under her chin, and turned her head to face him. Then he cupped her face in his hands, and said, "You look a lot like her, you know that?" Sirius whispered just loud enough for her to hear.   
Jaimie smiled, and said, "But you've never met her."   
"I've seen a picture of her." He said hopefully.   
"Yeah, you have. Is that a good thing?"   
"That you look like her?"   
"Mm hmm."   
"Yeah, of course."   
They paused, Sirius was now leaning in dangerously close to her, his hands still holding her face. Jaimie had placed her hands on his and was looking at them. Then she shifted her gaze up into his eyes and at length she whispered, "You're going to kis me now aren't you?"   
Sirius smiled. He moved his hands from her face to the back of her head and pulled her slowly to him. She closed his eyes and anticipated the feeling of lips to hers. They were so soft, and didn't force against her own. Sirius had dropped his hands from her head, and placed them more comfortably on her hip, his thumb continuing with its habit of stroking her. Her arms went to his neck, both their lips still plastered together.   
She pulled away for a gasp of air and looked deep in his eyes. There was a hint of surprise in them, and little bit of confusion and she smiled. He looked absolutely adorable like that.   
"That would be a yes." She whispered, a hint of amusement in her voice that had long been extinguished.   
Sirius smiled serenely and pulled her closer for another kiss. 

Fifteen minutes later, Jaimie and Sirius walked down the stairs empty handed but looking as if they had just gone out on the broom ride. Wide smiles played across their lips, and could not disappear. The other four, who had gone downstairs to feast on the lunch that Aunt Charlene had made for them, were sitting on the kitchen chairs that were now set up in the cleared living room, the basket laid on a box they had propped up as a table. They each had a sandwich in hand, and had taken cups out of the kitchen cupboards for the pumpkin juice.   
The others took in their windswept appearance and James asked, "What happened to you two?"   
"Er . . . " Jaimie and Sirius looked at each other shiftily.   
"Never mind, we don't want to know. Come on in, food is ready. Mum's specialty: Never ending sanwiches." Remus said, as he took another bite of sandwich.   
"Hey, isn't tonight _the _night?" Jaimie asked, her eyes briefly shifting to Lily who did not seem to notice the emphasis. It was very obvious actually, Remus was the palest yet, and his hunger had increased ten fold.   
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't enjoy this day as much as I can right?" He said, his mouth full of sandwich.   
"Remus!" Lily said, giggling at the sight of the usually composed Remus.   
"'Orry." He said, bits of food flying from him.   
"What are you talking about anyway?" Lily asked, casually.   
"Nothing." The three boys and Jaimie said, Peter didn't even answer for fear of letting something slip.   
Suspcious, Lily said, "Ri-ight. Why do I get the feeling that you're all keeping something from me?"   
"We're not." James said, with his most innocent look ever.   
Lily's suspicion seemed to be fueled by this simple gesture but was interrupted by Sirius who said "Anyway, we better eat fast, and get the rest of the house done, or else we'll never finish this today. Why didn't your mum and dad help, Remus?" He said, changing the subject.   
"Because, they're busy, you know that." Remus said, acting a little to interested in the lettuce of his sandwich.   
"Busy with what?" Peter asked, for he did not know what had happened two nights ago.   
"You lot are keeping something from me." Lily said, setting down her sandwich.   
"No, its just, that we were right. You know about the Order. My parents were in it, and so are James' and Remus'." Jaimie went into a full account of the night before last, excluding the part when she had dreamt that Voldemort had killed them all. She told them of the fact that Dumbledore was its secret-keeper and though they wanted to tell them its location, that they were bound by magic not to tell. She told them about the members that they had seen and of course the circumstances that had led them to be taken to the headquarters in the first place.   
When she had finished, her throat somewhat dry, Lily said, "Did you ask about Riley?"   
"No, it completely slipped my mind." Jaimie said, frustrated.   
"And its not like they would have told us anyway. They're pretty secretive." Sirius said.   
"Of course, do you think that they'd achieve something if the Death Eaters actually knew what they were doing? And its not like they can trust us. I mean, not that I actually believe this, but anyone of us could be working for Voldemort secretly. Look at Damion and Snape." Remus said, logically.   
"How?" Peter asked.   
"I mean, we could easily tell all this stuff to someone that we didn't know was a Death Eater. It wouldn't be hard to, they're highly secretive, too."   
"And its not like the Daily Prophet is helping either. Stupid gits." Sirius said, his hair still windswept.   
"Its amazing though," Lily said, her eyes unfocused, looking at something and nothing at the same time.   
"What is?" Jaimie asked perturbed.   
"How easily people could kill and hurt other people and not have a single, damn second thought." A fire burned in Lily's eyes, a look of pure hatred and repulsion in her face. Jaimie knew Lily was a fierce spirit, but she had never seen her like this.   
"How do you suppose people even come to think like this? How they know so much anger, and so much hatred?" Lily asked to no one in particular.   
"Some people are brought up to think like that. They're made and taught to hate people who are born from muggles and are muggles just because they weren't born into pureblood families. They're just around so much hatred that its only natural that they feel it, too. It's all that they know." Sirius said, who was avoiding everyone's eye.   
Jaimie looked at him, curiously, and placed a hand on his, and held it tightly. Sirius looked up; his face set, and looking grim.   
"What's wrong?" Jaimie asked, suddenly worried.   
"Nothing. It's nothing." He said, shaking his head stubbornly.   
"I don't want to talk any more about this. This is just too depressing." James said, pushing his glass further up the bridge of his nose.   
"And like the job we have to do isn't?" Lily said, her eyes contorted in disbelief.   
"Well, its a lot less depressing than talking about Lord Voldemort." James retorted.   
"We have to talk about it sometime, don't we?" Lily said, her voice rising a little.   
"We're seventeen. Can't we talk and act like it for once?" James returned, his voice rising too.   
"Please, can you guys stop fighitng? Look at what's happening, just talking about Voldemort makes people fight. Let's just stop this, and get back to work alright?" Jaimie pleaded.   
So with that, their 'thirty minute' break was over and they went back to work. Remus, Peter, Sirius and James teamed up to finish Jaimie's and Sirius' frugal attemtp at her parent's room, though the fact still remained that they had waisted a morning halfway done with the job. Lily and Jaimie started on her room, giving them time to talk girl to girl, as they hadn't had a proper conversation in a while. The two girls idly took down dresses and boxes and old toys from Jaimie's closet, all the while Lily telling Jaimie how unhelpful Peter had been.   
". . . So I tell him that we should just try moving the sofa with our hands, since he can't do magic yet. And don't tell the boy this, but its not like he would be even more helpful even if he was allowed to do magic. So, he takes one end of the sofa, and I take the other end, and we both lift it up, but then the idiot drops the damn thing, and it narrowly misses his foot . . ."   
Jaimie listened interestedly to her best friend. She had seriously missed these kind of talks with Lily. They both seemed so preoccupied and busy lately and what with herself and Sirius together, they just didn't talk much, though if truth be told, Lily and James were getting rather cozy with each other, even if some of those cozy moments ended in arguments.   
". . . So then I end up just giving up and letting the bugger wrap newspaper over the little things, while I moved the sofas to the side wall. Anyway, what are you going to do with all that stuff? Sell it?"   
Jaimie returning from her reverie at being addressed said, "I suppose so. But I reckon that I could always just keep that stuff in a storage some place, and put the place up for rent or something. I don't suppose I would sell it, as my family's had this house forever."   
"So your not going to move into it after you turn seventeen?"   
"No. I'm afraid it'll just remind me too much of my family. About my life when it was normal."   
"I highly doubt that you were ever normal." Lily said, giggling.   
"Well, you know what I mean." Jaimie said, waving her hand idly.   
They concentrated on their job, until the closet was cleared. Jaimie busily emptied out the contents of her old desk, and put them into a single bag to take back to her new room at the Lupins'. At one point, Lily had unearthed her diary that she had neglected to write in for two years. She asked permission if she could read it and recieved it, laughing delightedly at the untroubled 'woes' of Jaimie as a fourteen year-old.   
". . . Rita has been saying that Damion Malfoy has been eyeing me greatly. But I don't want him to, if she cared so much she could have him, but I bid her good luck from all the other girls who fancy him. But I suppose that dating him wouldn't be so bad. He's quite the gentlemen actually . . . "   
Jaimie walked over and said in disbelief, "Did I write that?"   
"Sounds like it. There's more, you go on and on about Sirius, but I won't read it, I've heard it all before." Lily said, trying mightily to supress her giggles.   
"Oh I was absolutely horrid!" Jaimie said, reading her two year old writing, "I wrote this at fourteen? I can't believe it, doesn't sound like me at all!"   
"Oh yes it does." Lily said, "You were always talking about him. Not that I don't blame you. The other half of the student body who aren't glued to Damion fancy Sirius." She was flipping to the earlier pages of the journal, as that one was the last entry.   
"So does this mean you fancy him?" Jaimie asked slwoly.   
"Of course not!" Lily said, abashed, "I fancy someone entirely different."   
"I wouldn't say so." Jaimie said, smiling.   
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lily asked looking up from the journal.   
"Two words. James. Potter." Jaimie said, dodging Lily's hand.   
"I do not! I don't fancy him. He's so immature, and self-centered and absolutely horrible."   
"Yes, but he's changed. He and Sirius. They don't curse everyone as much, and they're not as egotistic." Jaimie said, matter-of-factly.   
"Yes, I know." Lily said, her eyes beginning to shine.   
"So does that mean that you fancy him?" Jaimie asked, already knowing the answer.   
Lily looked sheepish, she bit her lip and said very quietly, "Yes."   
Jaimie gave out a shriek. Soon they heard the pounding of footsteps and the four boys came bursting into the room. Sirius and James, who were in the lead tripped over the boxes placed inconveniently by the door. Jaimie and Lily looked shocked at their sudden appearance and came quickly to the aid of the fallen boys, Remus and Peter scanning the room for possible signs of anything gone awry.   
"Are you all right?" Jaimie asked, helping Sirius to sit up.   
"Yes, but what was that for? Why did you scream?" He asked, out of breath.   
"Scream?" Jaimie asked confused, and then comprehension dawned on her face, "Oh, that,"   
"She was just being Jaimie." Lily said, who had helped James.   
"We were worried something happened to you." James said, clutching his head.   
"You were worried about me?" Lily asked, skeptically.   
"Yes. What did you expect us to be? Usually when someone screams its bad." James said, sarcastically.   
"Well, I never really thought you to be someone who would . . . worry." Lily asked, sheepishly.   
James gave her a look of mock indignity on his face. Lily playfully mussed his hair, which made it stick up even more.   
After making sure that the girls were okay, and then pestering them as to why Jaimie had shrieked in the first place, they left to continue their work with Jaimie's parent's room, the three other boys teasing James that Lily fancied her. Not that he minded, he had been attracted to Lily from he beginning of day one.   
Meanwhile, Jaimie and Lily continued on their purge of her room, Jaimie commenting on how much time they had wasted.   
"How about you and Sirius? You two barely got half of that room done, and that was your only job, _and _James had helped you both. What were you two doing anyway?" Lily asked, sounding offhand.   
"Well . . . " Even if Lily was Jaimie's best friend, she didn't want to share her first moment with Sirius yet.   
But Lily wasn't an idiot; on the contrary she was brilliant and was quite the contradiction to pureblood enthusiasts. She showed her brilliance on this occasion for she said, "You guys had you're first kiss, didn't you?"   
Jaimie nodded her head, trying to supress a smile but failing spectacularly.   
Lily gave a loud squeal, "I knew it! How was he? Was he any good?"   
Jaimie considered it for a moment; it was particularly hard to recall just exactly what had happened in her parent's bedroom. So she just settled with, "He was very, er, gentle." She finished lamely.   
Lily gave her a blank look. "That's it? That's all you can come up with? You just had the first kiss with the man you love and-"   
"Wait, wait, wait. Now I didn't say that!"   
"Well, you've fancied him for how long? Since you first laid eyes on him, and you're telling me you don't love him?" Lily asked, calmly.   
"I'm only sixteen-"   
"Seventeen in a month." Lily interjected.   
"Yes, but still, even though I am sixteen and on the verge of 'womanhood' I've never known what its like to be in love. All those boyfriends in school, they're just childhood romances; theyweren't _real." _Jaimie said, sounding defeated.   
"Yes, exactly. You've fancied this boy for how long? Seven years, and not once did you actually care if he talked you. Well obviously you cared, but it wasn't a big deal. And that's what makes it love. Because you were willing to wait. And not to mention that he called on you at nine in the evening and stayed with you all night."   
"Yes. But . . . " Jaimie didn't know why, but she just refused to believe it was real. Things of this sort didn't happen to her.   
"But what?" Lily demanded.   
"But you don't know how he feels. How many girlfriends has he had? Countless. He's probably been with every girl in our year. How do we know that he wasn't the same with his other girlfriends."   
"Because we know all his other girlfriends, and not once did they say that he did something even remotely like this." Lily pointed out, "_And _he waited this long for a kiss from you. How long have you been together? A year, and this is the first time you've kissed."   
"Lily, please, just drop it. Why do you care so much if I love him?" Jaimie asked, walking away from her under the pretext of checking in one of the boxes by the door.   
"Because, you need him, and he needs you. You're perfect together." Lily said, following her. She bore her eyes into Jaimie's who looked back solemnly.   
_Damn, I hate it when she does that._ Jaimie thought defeated.   
"Why don't you want to admit it?" Lily demanded.   
"Because, Lily please, can you just drop it?" Jaimie said, now completely in a bad mood.   
"No, I won't drop it unless you give me a straight answer as to why you won't admit that Sirius is good for you. Come on." Lily chided.   
"No." Jaimie said blankly.   
"Please?"   
"No, Lily, please just- let's get back to work?"   
"Plea-"   
"BECAUSE IF I ADMIT THAT I LOVE HIM, THEN SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO HIM!" Jaimie yelled. She had balled her hands into fists and was breathing hard, her green eyes watering. It was the first time that she had ever yelled at Lily, and quickly regretted it as she saw the look of surprise on her best friend's face.   
"I'm sorry, Lily, I-I don't know why I said that-" Jaimie apologized.   
But Lily did the almost complete opposite of what Jaimie said and hugged her. The four boys came back again confused at what was happening. They were surprised to see that the two girls really hadn't gotten much further than the last time they had come and were even more surprised to see Lily hugging Jaimie tightly who was looking very perturbed and whose cheeks were slightly pink.   
"Are we intruding on something?" Remus said slowly.   
Lily turned around and said, "No, um, just some girl-talk that's all." She let Jaimie go, and the boys left. Sirius lingering behind and looking at Jaimie in a worried expression, but Jaimie was determinedly not looking at him.   
"Are you sure you're all right? You look as if you were just crying."   
He made a step inside but Lily stopped him and said, "No. Sirius, just go back with the boys. We really need to talk."   
He took one last look at Jaimie, who was still not looking back at him, before forcing himself toward the master bedroom.   
Lily turned to Jaimie and said, "Now, what's this about, hmm? Why do you think you admit to loving him that something bad will happen to him?"   
"Please Lily, if you ever do listen to me, let this be it. Just drop it. I don't want to talk about it." Jaimie said, determinedly keeping her voice calm.   
Lily could not find it in her to argue back so she just quietly continued with the cleaning of the room. They worked in silence, neither knowing what to say and both afraid that they might offend the other. Jaimie preferred it this way. The less talking they did, the more work they had gotten done and the faster they can leave. She did not like the house anymore. It was a mere shadow of the occupants that once lived there, and a living remeberance to their name. It was like a graveyard, and all of the furniture that they were resolved to get rid of were the dead bodies that they needed to extricate, the smell of Charles, Belle and Dominique Dijon embroidered in their very fabric. She felt suffocated and soon found that she was gasping for air. Lily looking alarmed, dropped the clock she held in her hand and rushed Jaimie tot he little window in her room. She threw open the windows and forced Jaimie's head out. A gust of wind played across Jaimie's face, making her hair fly angelically around her face. She took a big breath in and out, and was relieved to find that her breathing was back to normal.   
She stuck her head back in and hugged Lily tightly.   
Slightly muffled Lily said, "What happened?"   
"I don't know. All of a sudden I couldn't breathe. I-It was so scary!" Jaimie said, rocking back and forth.   
"Its okay. It's alright. You're fine now, Jaimie." Lily cooed, patting Jaimie's back.   
Jaimie gave a shuddering breath and said, "I want to get out of here."   
"Alright, we're almost done, so we can leave in a few minutes. Just go downstairs, and I'll finish up here, then we can go back to Remus' house or Diagon Alley or wherever you want to go."   
Jaimie nodded and left her room, Sirius coming to meet her.   
"Are you alright? What's wrong, you look absolutely horrible!" Sirius said, almost lifting the girl off her feet.   
"Yes Sirius I'm fine, I just had a scare that's all. I'm going downstairs, Lily is finishing up the room. Can one of you go help her?"   
"I'll go," James said.   
Jaimie gave her a look of skepticism, but then said, "Thanks James."   
"No problem." He said, smiling as he entered the room.   
They went downstairs wordless, Sirius holding onto Jaimie, Remus and Peter following them. They sat among the kitchen chairs that were placed in the living room and waited patiently for Lily and James to finish. SIrius, Remus and Peter were talking among themselves, laughing and joking together. Remus was looking paler and was looking outside more frequently. The sun was almost down, and he needed to hurry to be able to transform. The Lupin's had a basement that they kept Remus in whenever the full moon had risen, so he would not be a problem. Jaimie looked at him, and was wringing her hands. Not only did she want to leave the house, but if they did not hurry, Lily would find out their secret as well as all five of them being bitten and turning into werewolves themselves. But fortunately at half past four, James and Lily emerged, levitating the boxes in front of them.   
In an annoyingly cheery voice, James said, "Alright then. Let's go. How are we going to get all these boxes over to the Lupin house, carry them one by one by floo powder, or we can apparate there with the boxes but that would take longer." He said, speaking about himself and Lily.   
"No I expect Uncle Alan to come by and pick up the boxes in his car tomorrow." Jaimie glanced at the fire which they had conjured without magic and briefly saw what seemed to be the blonde head of Damion Malfoy.   
She did a double-take at the fire, and the others, noticing this, looked at it too, but found nothing surprising.   
"What was that about?" James asked, looking at Jaimie with a confused look.   
"I-" She looked back at the flames, completely head free. "I just thought I saw something, but it must have been my imagination. Let's get out of here, I don't want to be here any longer."   
Jaimie took the pouch that held the floo powder and handed it around so the others could get their share. She let Peter go before her, before throwing the green powder into the orange flames which promptly turned green themselves and entered it, spinning away from the house she had once grown up in, feeling more tired and confused than ever.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

_A/N: Well, the first time that they ever kissed and it was spoiled. Damn that sucks. Anyway, I've been working like made trying to finish this chapter by the time school started. At last I have succeeded. It would have been up earlier if my cousins hadn't slept over. Stupid nosy buggers. No just kidding I love them. Shh.___

_Anywho, again, Its Chapter 10. Time for the list thingy._

_Chapter 6: Bury Me Down by the River-_Bee Gees   
_Chapter 7: Knowledge-_Green Day   
_Chapter 8 : It's the End of the World-_REM (and Prince too, but the one I'm using is by REM)   
_Chapter 9: 16-_Green Day   
_Chapter 10: Strawberry Fields Forever-_Beatles 


	11. Sleeping Beauty

**Sleeping Beauty**

_Delusional_   
_I believe I can cure it all for you, dear_   
_Coax or trick or drive or_   
_drag the demons from you_   
_Make it right for you sleeping beauty_   
_Truly thought_   
_I can magically heal you_

_You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening_   
_Failing miserably to rescue_

_Sleeping Beauty_   
  
  
  
  


She emerged in the empty living room, Peter sitting down on the den's sofas, but neither the Lupins nor Mimi anywhere in sight.   
"Where's everyone?" Jaimie asked him.   
"I don't know, I thought that they were all out of the house." Peter said, thoroughly bewildered.   
For a fleeting instant, she thought that the Death Eaters had come back for her and the Lupins but then Mimi suddenly came ambling into the den, a precarious perch of folded clothes in her tiny arms. She gave a squeak as Remus suddenly came spinning in after Jaimie and nearlymade the house elf drop the clothes if she hadn't suddenly used her magic to levitate them again.   
"Master Remus, Master Remus! What is you doing out this late! You must get down to the basement, Master Remus! Hurry."   
Remus nodded and headed out of the den before he turned around and said to Jaimie and Peter, "Tell them I needed to leave. James and Sirius will understand."   
Jaimie looked at Mimi, who didn't know that Sirius and the others knew of Remus' lycanthropy. She didn't look as if she suspected that they knew, and if she did, she was hiding it very well.   
Remus turned swiftly around again and walked briskly away, disappearing around the staircase.   
Jaimie and Peter were left in the room by themselves for a short time as Lily had just come spinning out of the fireplace, and after her James and last of all Sirius.   
"Where's Remus?" Lily asked, as she saw only Jaimie and Peter in the room.   
"He had to leave. He said it was an emergency." Jaimie explained, not quite meeting their gaze.   
Lily looked slightly disappointed, but Sirius and James did not look the slightest bit surprised. They just nodded, and set themselves on the sofa beside Peter.   
Lily on the other hand, dug her hands into her pockets and said, "Oh bugger for me. But I better get going anyway, I reckon mum and dad will have a fit if I stayed any longer. When Remus gets back, tell him I said hi and tell him that I hope this emergency goes well."   
James frowned at this; he cared about Lily alot and it was a rare thing indeed for Remus to get more attention than himself. Lily, not noticing, went back to the grate and took a pinch of of floo powder and cast it into the flames. She took one last look back before stepping into the fire and disappearing as the flames turned orange. When she was gone James chose this time to begin to talk.   
"Does she fancy Remus, do you think?" James asked, sitting casually in his chair, though his tone of voice suggested otherwise.   
"Hard to tell, girls are impossible to decipher." Sirius answered, absently toying with the tassel of the throw pillow.   
"Hey, watch it," Jaimie said warningly, "There is a girl in here."   
"Yes, but you're not like all girls." Sirius said, coming to attention.   
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Jaimie said, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head in an attempt to look innocently curious.   
"That you're more beautiful and smarter and talented than all the other girls." Sirius patronized, pulling her in by her hips and planting her on his lap.   
"What about Evans?" James said, sitting up, pretending to be offended   
"What about her?" Sirius said, offhandedly.   
"Hey!" James said indignantly, playfully punching Sirius' arm.   
Peter sniggered as James and Sirius started a pretend fist fight, Jaimie becoming uncomfortable on Sirius' lap and sitting on the sofa beside him instead. She crossed her arms and legs and started jiggling it. The boys stopped and James said, "Hey, Jaimie, you know what they say when a girl does that don't you?" He had a very mischievous look in his eye.   
"It means that they're impatient?" Jaimie tried, uncrossing her legs and arms.   
"No it means that-"   
"Jaimie! Sirius, James, Peter! Where's Remus, has he gone on that emergency then?" Aunt Charlene came bustling into the room, and in Jaimie's opinion, in a slightly too cheerful and very unconvincing disposition.   
"Yeah he left a few minutes ago." Jaimie said, quickly glancing at James.   
"Oh, where's that darling girl-what's her name-Rose is it?" Aunt Charlene said, snapping her finger.   
"No, Auntie, its Lily." Jaimie corrected.   
"Yeah, Lily Evans." James said, announcing the name dreamily.   
"Right, love." Aunt Charlene said, giving James a confused look.   
"Well, I better get going again. Just needed something from the house. Oh Jaimie darling, we might be gone all night, so I want you to lock all the doors and don't answer the fireplace. I think you know the drill in case, something _significant_ happens?" Jaimie nodded her head, "Right, love, well I'll see you all later. Oh and one more thing," She pulled Jaimie away from the three boys who could have cared less, "No boys allowed after hours, dear." She whispered in a chiding tone.   
Jaimie nodded her head again, but could not believe what Aunt Charlene was implying. But, unperturbed, she just smiled in that overly cheerful way and tapped Jaimie's nose. She walked into a closed off room and left Jaimie with three suspicious boys, who were all staring at her in confusion. She sat next to Sirius and held his hand, trying to supress a laugh. Sirius was looking at her expectantly, wanting her to speak. But she just shook her head and pointed to the door to indicate that Aunt Charlene was still there. After a few moments, she heard her aunt yell, "Be good you lot," and heard a loud bang that sounded when a person apparated and Jaimie let out her laugh. Sirius turned to her once more and said, "What was that about?"   
She was just telling me about the joys of childhood." Jaimie said simply.   
"Oh." He said, and then turned to look straight ahead.   
"So, what do you lot want to do now?" James said, twiddling his thumbs.   
They all shrugged and Sirius said, "We very well can't prank a few people. No one to prank now is there?"   
"I don't suppose so." Peter said, slowly.   
"So we'll just have to sit on our pretty arses and behave like good little children." Sirius said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.   
"Well, I can't leave Remus all alone. I mean, what if someone comes in and finds out about him and accidentally kills him?" Jaimie replied.   
"Jaimie, he's a werewolf, I highly doubt that he'll be unprotected." James said, gazing avidly out the window that faced the woods outside.   
The sun, like a large lemon, was sinking beneath the foliage of the trees. They all watched its progress with bated breath until it disappeared completely. Any moment now, Remus would be transforming into his werewolf form. He would be suffering; alone; in that dark, dank basement. Clawing himself until his skin broke, and blood would seep through. Biting himself, his sharp wolf teeth tearing his beautiful sandy gold hair, and tearing all that he could see in front of him. Jaimie shivered. She couldn't think of it. She felt extremely guilty that Remus was down there. Why hadn't it been her? It was her fault that she had been out at night. If only she had stayed inside that night. Why was she so stubborn?   
The memory of that one night replayed in bit parts in her head. Her hands were balled into two tight fists. So tight in fact that her knuckles were turning white and her nails were digging into her palms. The image of the dreadful werewolf appeared in flashes in her eyes. She felt so angry with herself and the injustice toward Remus that she wished he would come upstairs and bite her. At least then he could enjoy her company as a werewolf. But then again, deep in her heart,she wouldn't have been able to stand it. She was not strong enough to live through what Remus had to live through; which just made her more angry. She balled her fists even tigher so that Sirius, who was nervously shaking his leg, released her hands from their grip and looked at the engravement of her nails on the meat of her palms.   
He was looking at her in confusion, and Jaimie gave him a shrug. Without asking her, he massaged her hands lightly until all that remained were four red nail marks on her palms. Sirius held her hand as if trying to prevent her from doing it again. Although Jaimie thought it unecessary, she found the gesture endearing and didn't think to protest. Suddenly they heard a muffled roar and a loud BANG as if a door was being rammed into. Sirius and James tensed, Jaimie looked in the direction of the basement. It seemed that Remus was flinging his body against the door at a vain attempt to get out. They all took their wands out, except for Jaimie, whose wand lay untouched in her bedside drawer. The room was quickly getting darker, the only light source was the orange flames from the fireplace which were quickly diminishing. James took his wand and muttered, _"Incendio!"_ and he lit two candles and gave one to Peter and Sirius. He muttered, "_Lumos!"_ and the tip of his wand was lighted with a pale glow.   
They walked forward into the dark family room and lighted a few of the torch brackets, James lighting the chandelier which hung on the ceiling. With it lit, neither of them needed their candles and extinguished them. They walked to the basement door as they heard a muffled howl, much louder as they were closer, and heard another BANG on the door. It shivered viciously as Remus' wolf-like body made contact with it from the other side. They heard another BANG and guessed that Remus had collapsed on the floor. They all looked at each other in apprehension, James still held his wand as if ready to attack. Jaimie placed a hand on his and lowered his wand, shaking her head as if she knew that he thought about going in there. He looked at the two other boys who all had looks of yearning-but yearning for what? Jaimie did not want to find out, but instead, she took a step forward toward the door, but felt a firm hand on her arm. It was James, and he had a set look in his usually light-hearted face. He shook his head and said, "It would be better if we did this." He motioned to himself, Sirius and Peter, who did not look as if he wanted to be anywhere near the door and was shaking and sweating madly.   
Neither James nor Sirius made the slightest inclination that suggested that they saw Peter quailing, and would not do so. Peter was in this for good somehow, Jaimie understood. He was bound to them, and they were bound to Remus. He was their brother, and they would not let him suffer alone, even if he did lose his senses and turned into a six foot hairy beast once a month, who was now trying to break down a door and possibly turn them all into something like himself. Jaimie thought for a fleeting second to protest or even to comment on this hidden camaraderie, but instead chose not to, and stepped out of the way to let them pass. James nodded his head in assurance and walked bravely to the now violently shaking door. It seemed the werewolf Remus had mastered the use of a doorknob and was playing a very nasty game of tug-o-war with it. But by magic, the door was sealed shut; not even a werewolf could open it. James sheathed his wand in his back pocket and said, "Remus? Moony, we know your in there. Make some kind of sign that you can hear us."   
Jaimie didn't know why James was talking so calmly to Remus. She didn't think werewolves understood English. Or did they? Whatever the answer, Jaimie watched the scene unfold from her new spot on the white leather sofa, James and Sirius talking to Remus, but for all the good it did, they might as well should have talked to the Whomping Willow. Nevertheless James continued unfazed. Sirius stood behind him, offering him helpful hints, and Peter just stood behind the two, now positively shaking with fear, his knees looking unable to support his weight. But just the fact that he was behind them seemed to satisfy the two other boys.   
A half an hour later, James and Sirius were still trying to calm Remus down. And though neither party showed that they were ready to lose, or indeed, were winning, they still didn't quit. She didn't know why they were so fixed on calming him down. Any able bodied human could tell that it was pointless and that Remus would not withdraw from his attempt to bite another living soul or to destroy the door. But they continued. Nevertheless, Jaimie did admired their will; though it was quickly getting old. Hearing James and Sirius repeating "Remus, its us, can you understand?" or something to that effect was really irritating. But finally it stopped. Remus stopped shaking the door madly, in fact, he whimpered like a dog would to his master if he wanted to get out. Sirius and James cheered loudly and slapped each other's hands in triumph. Peter cheered from his spot on the floor. James handled his wand and made to unlock the door, but Sirius stopped him. He gave him a warning look, and James sufficed to saying, "Remus, if you understand us, and I think you do, tap on the door twice."   
Promptly, they heard the sound of massive paws on the door banging twice.   
Jaimie watched from her seat on the leather couches. She was amazed. How had they done it? How could two sixteen year old boys have gotten to a werewolf? For sixteen years, Jaimie had tried to help Remus, but to no avail. Granted that they had been trying for longer than she had, but still. They weren't even related to him. They were just his friends. They hadn't been there when Remus had his sixth birthday and lost his tooth biting into a piece of candy. They weren't there when Remus rode his first bike. And they certainly weren't there when Remus had saved her from the werewolf. And yet, here they were, talking to a calm, sixteen year old werewolf; having an almost human conversation with him. James was now asking Remus if it was alright to come in.   
". . . Tap once for yes, and twice for no." James said, crossing his arms, his tongue between his teeth. Sirius was still smiling, and leaning casually on the door. Peter sat on the floor, looking up at the two boys expectantly.   
Predictably, Remus tapped twice and James said, "But haven't you gotten control over that thing?"   
Remus rapped three times on the door.   
"What is that supposed to mean? You're unsure?"   
Remus knocked once.   
Jaimie looked away. She couldn't stand that they were the ones who had given Remus control over the werewolf. They were taking away her brother, and making him their own. They were taking away the only family she had now. Sure she still had Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan, but their relationship with her was that-Aunt and Uncle. She looked at Sirius. His beautiful shining face, looking so triumphant in proving to her and everyone in the room that his bond with Remus was much closer than hers. She looked back at the three of them; even Peter was a part of the group, at least he had been forced to accompany them to talk to Remus. She glared at him. She glared at all of them. But she stopped. She knew she couldn't be mad at them. They had been there when she was in a time of need, and they were merely being there for Remus in his time of need. She contented herself with gazing out the window at the dark patch of sky she could see. 

Sirius turned his head gracefully in Jaimie's direction. She was looking out the window, though what she saw exactly he was unsure of. The pale light fromt the chandelier played over her figure, and softened her features beautifully. He couldn't look at her. He didn't deserve to. Suddenly, the door gave another wild shiver, and Peter stood up to attention. Sirius tore his head away from Jaimie to the door, James had taken out his wand again and was now saying, "Hey, Remus! What happened? You alright?!"   
One knock.   
"What happened?"   
Of course Remus couldn't answer, it wasn't a yes or no question. Sirius let James handle it on his own and stared back at Jaimie. She was still gazing out the window. It looked as if she hadn't even acknowledged that Remus lost control, or indeed, was even having a close to human conversation. He walked away from the other two and said, "Peter, take my spot for a minute."   
Peter whimpered, but obeyed nevertheless.   
Sirius walked to Jaimie and sat down on the sofa beside her. She didn't acknowledge him. What was wrong? They had shared their first kiss this afternoon, and now she was acting like she didn't even know him. He nudged her. She turned her head gracefully to him, but then looked down. Sirius took a glance to James and Peter, and then looked down at the clearly troubled girl next to him. She rested her elbows on her upper thighs, and was looking interestedly at her shoes.   
He did as she did and knocked into her knees, but she wouldn't look at him. Sirius, who was used to playing this sort of game would not relent and just kneeled in front of the girl and tried to look in her face, though she used her hair to block his face out. Exasperated that he was not winning, he made a divide in her hair as if they were curtains and said, "You seem a little down. What's wrong?"   
"Nothing." Jaimie mumbled.   
Sirius could have sworn that she was slowly inching away from him. What is it something he said? Was it his breath? Was he that bad of a kisser?! He retook his seat next to her and thought about what to say to her. No words came. He was thoroughly baffled. How could a girl be happy one minute, and so sad the next? Girls were so hard to understand. Finally, after thinking about it, he said what he thought was the most obvious and helpful thing to say, which was, "Are you alright?"   
This seemed to get her going. "Alright? Alright? Sure I'm alright, but why worry about me, shouldn't you be going to Remus' aid? He's more important after all." She got up and ran up the stairs. James and Peter turned their attention from the door and Remus within and watched her stomp up the stairs.   
Sirius stared after her in awe. His mouth was slightly open and he had a blank gaze in his eyes. What was with her? He can never understand girls. James and Peter seemed to give up their conversation with Remus. They walked over to Sirius and sat down on either side of him. James shook his head, a look of annoying smugness on his face.   
"Its all right, mate. Can't have the best of everything. Nobody's perfect." James patted his back consolingly.   
"Shut it, Prongs." Sirius said moodily.   
"Hey, hey, calm down Padfoot, just saying that all girls have wild mood swings, why would Jaimie be different? It might be, you know," He looked around as if he was about to divulge a secret that could get him excommunicated for, "_that time of month._" He whispered in Sirius' ear, Peter was leaning in dangerously close so that he actually fell off of his seat.   
Sirius managed to keep him from falling, as was usually his job. "Whoa, watch it Wormtail! What are you trying to do anyway? Lick my shoes?"   
"No." Peter said shortly sitting back next to James.   
Sirius made to retort, but James stopped him. Sirius agreed, shrugged his shoulders and lay back on the sofa, his hands behind his head. He looked up at the chandelier and said aloud to no one in particular, "Why do girls have to be so damn incomprehensible. There should be a book about them. Yeah, I think that's what I'll do after Hogwarts, write a book on girls. _Anatomy of Girl. 101 Things to Know About Girl. _Or _Girl: Things You Didn't Know But Would Like to so They Stop Yelling at You ." _ He smiled contemplatively.   
Peter's chin was on his fist and he was nodding his head in agreement.   
James smiled and followed Sirius' lead. "Yeah, it'd be the most helpful book out there, I reckon."   
"Infortunately for you three, girls aren't easy to understand like books."   
Sirius and James sat up.   
Aunt Charlene, Mrs. Lupin to them, was standing in the living room, her hands on her hips; Uncle Alan or Mr. Lupin was standing a little ways behind her at the door that concealed Remus and surreptitiously checked to see if it was still locked. He didn't know that everyone in the room knew about Remus' lycanthropy, and was doing a pretty bad job of concealing the fact that they had a secret. But of course it was still locked and at once acknowledged the boys genially, though he did not bother to help them out of the situation they had wrapped themselves in. Peter was looking downcast at the floor looking thorougly ashamed, though James and Sirius looked at Mrs. Lupin's livid face rather bravely. Mr. Lupin left the room without even a backward glance, as though hurriedly trying to get out of the line of fire, he did, however, say, "Good luck, boys."   
"Thanks, Mr. Lupin." James replied sarcastically, giving a short wave at the man's back.   
Mrs. Lupin's bosom swelled as she gave a huge intake of breath. Thus, she began her tirade on the three boys who had so dileberately stayed longer than they should have. Sirius and James tuned her out, they were far too used to being reprimanded to care. They found that, when roused, all adults and authority figures said the same thing over again. Peter on the other hand, stood attentively on James' other side, the woman's words sinking in deep.   
Mrs. Lupin had run out of things to say, and suggested that they just take floo powder and go, her eyes darting nervously to the basement door, before assuming Mr. Lupin's tracks and heading intot the den. Sirius, James and Peter stood a moment longer where they were, not talking. None of them, save Peter, were really affected by what Mrs. Lupin had to say, but out of respect for Remus, stood where they were and let her have a lead before leaving via fireplace. James, though thoroughly unsure as to why they had tarried longer walked to the the den wordless, Peter following James and finally Sirius after them. Mrs. Lupin held the pot of floo powder out to them as Peter and James both grabbed a fistful, said their apologies to Mrs. Lupin and prepared themselves for the trip back to their homes.   
James, who had let Peter before him turned around just as he was about to endulge himself in greenish flame and gave Sirius a look which plainly asked, "You coming?"   
Sirius held out a finger to him to indicate one moment.   
James responded by shrugging and said, "See you at home," and stepped into the grate and spun out of sight.   
Mrs. Lupin, who watched the exchange of motion between James and Sirius watched the handsome boy expectantly, holding the pot to him. Sirius ignored it and said, "Can I just say good night to Jaimie? It won't take long I promise."   
Mrs. Lupin began to turn him down, but Mr. Lupin said, "Sure, why not Sirius. I'm sure she'd love to see you one last time tonight." His eyes were twinkling knowingly.   
"Thanks Mr. Lupin, Mrs. Lupin. I won't take long, I swear."   
Sirius bolted up the stairs, not waiting for a reply by the aging couple and stopped in front of Jaimie's door, which was the last one to the left of the hall. He knocked three times, but no answer came. He knocked again, and still she didn't answer. Finally, he decided to chance it, and opened the door a crack.He peered in carefully around the door and saw Jaimie's sleeping form on her bed in the dark room, her silhouette illuminated by the pale moon light.   
Sirius walked in, and whispered, "Jaimie?"   
She didn't answer. She was obviously asleep. He walked over to her and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek, and whispered, "Good night."   
He walked backward, back to the door, and was about to take his leave, when he went back to her and said, with a smile, "Thanks for the kiss."   
He tip-toed out and closed the door with a snap. 

Jaimie's eyes snapped open. She had been pretending to sleep. She did not want Sirius to say good night to her, and to question her about her strange mood swing downstairs, because the truth was she didn't know. It was so sudden. It seemed like the person who had thought those dreadful thoughts downstairs were a different person, that they were just some by products of the stress she had placed on herself. But then, she thought again.were those thoughts really so ludicrous? Maybe they really didn't care much for Jaimie. Maybe Sirius was just taking her for a ride, that he had not meant all the things he had told her earlier in the day, that she was just a childhood fling.   
_Stop that_, She thought forcefully, _They wouldn't have stuck with you when your parents died if they weren't your true friends. Especially Remus. He's like a brother to you, he would never do any harm to you._   
Jaimie turned over in her bed just as another thought struck her.   
_Maybe they just felt sorry for you. They saw how desperate and _alone_ you were. Orphaned, abandoned; they just pitied you; felt sorry for you. But they hate you, they really do. You know it Jaimie, its obvious . . ._   
Jaimie fell into an uneasy sleep, these troubled thoughts circling her mind.   
  
  
  


* * *

_A/N: Ok, much of this chapter was done while I was watching _A Walk to Remember _for the first time. Now Mandy Moore isn't exactly my most favorite actress in the world, but she did a good job with this movie. School has been hell. I've only been updating to the chapter every other weekend, and even then I didn't update as much. Sorry for the delay. But I was very busy. Please r/r it would really make me feel better._   
  



	12. Taste of Honey

**A Taste of Honey**

_Yours was the kiss that awoke my heart_   
_There lingers still though we're far apart_   
_A taste of honey_   
_A taste of honey_   
_tasting much sweeter than wine_   
_Do dut don du, do dut don du_

_I will return, yes I will return_   
_I'll come back, I'll come back_   
_for the honey, for the honey_   
_and you_   
  
  
  


Jaimie woke up to the bright morning sun peeking in through the divide of her curtains. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, slightly refreshed, the last few moments of the night before forgotten for the time being. She was a bit disoriented, but quickly realized what day it was and jumped out of bed as if it were on fire. She stormed down the stairs, and nearly knocked down some expensive vases and ran straight into the den, where Remus sat placidly on his seat on the sofa, sipping a cup of steaming tea, his arms and face ridden with scratches and bite marks, though most of his wounds were healing at a remarkable pace. She speculated that Aunt Charlene had most likely brought some potions from St. Mungo's, where she worked, and ordered Remus to take some.   
"'Morning, Jaimie." He said, his voice a little shaky.   
"Morning," She answered stiffly.   
Remus noticed her starchy tone but chose not to reply. He knew better. He just sipped his tea, and continued watching the empty fireplace with feigned interest. If something was the matter with her, it was her choice to tell, and she didn't seem in the mood to be asked such an obvious question as "Are you alright?"   
Jaimie walked in, and sat down beside Remus, put her hands on her stomach and closed her eyes. He was alright. Good. But why was she feeling so awful? Why did she feel as if she could care less? Then it all came back to her; they were packing all of her family's things, she and Sirius had shared their first kiss, Jaimie had admitted to Lily why she could not love Sirius and she had so unfairly blamed him and the others for the only thing that they could do-care for their friends. She felt horrible; and yet, not so. Sure Remus was a werewolf, and he had to suffer the pains of a monthly transformation, but what about herself? She had lost the only family she had known, save the Lupins, and she had to live daily with the burden of wondering why she had been so mercifully and yet so unmercifully been spared. True they had and are still helping her to cope with the problem, but they did not know the full extent of her pain. They had taken away a part of Remus, her brother, and did not even consider the rammifications of their actions.   
She slumped in her seat, now completely in a bad mood. She had probably annoyed Sirius and Remus; most likely with her stiff greeting. It was, after all, her fault that he had suffered daily and herself along with him, and it was only right that she asked him if he was feeling well enough. So burying her morbid thoughts she said, "Are you alright?"   
Remus, who had been waiting for the moment when Jaimie would speak, grabbed the opportunity, "I've felt better. But you knew that. What about you? You seem a bit miffed."   
Jaimie sighed, "Yeah well, things haven't exactly been brilliant." Jaimie mumbled just loudly enough for Remus to hear.   
"Not everybody's lives are perfect, Jaimie. Even when you're surrounded by family that loves you. Things may have seemed perfect, but that's just the outer appearance."   
Jaimie looked at Remus next to her. When had he become so wise? She gave him a penetrating look, and he just looked back at her, with a small smile on his face. He knew so much pain and sadness; knew so much about life and he was only sixteen. What had happened to him? What happened to the scrawny little boy she used to make mud pies with?   
_He's grown up,_ she thought to herself and she swelled with pride. _We've all grown up._   
Jaimie watched him out of the corner of her eye as he put his now empty mug down on the coffee table and leaned back in his chair slowly. He winced as his back touch the fluffy throw pillows behind him. He gave a weak chuckle and said, "How do you reckon that anyone, even a werewolf, could reach behind their back and scratched themselves senseless?"   
Jaimie snorted. She admired that he could laugh about his predicament, could laugh at such a horrible time. He was hurt, and yet he kept his poker face. He didn't complain once, did not even shown a sign of weakness. She admired him; he was the epitome of all that was great and honorable.   
Just then, they heard a loud crack and saw Uncle Alan, Aunt Charlene and Mimi all carrying the boxes they had left at the house which now belonged to Jaimie.   
They all dropped their charges unceremoniously on the floor among a pile of boxes that Jaimie had not seen and Uncle Alan said, "Last of all the boxes, the tables and chairs and the beds we'll get after we get a spot of breakfast. We have a nice storage shed out back we can modify to fit all your stuff." He said, wiping his sweaty forehead with a kerchief.   
"But, dear, you've already had breakfast." Aunt Charlene said, going into the kitchen under the pretext of fixing all four of them a snack anyway.   
"But Jaimie hasn't, is that right Jaimie?" He said, turning to Jaimie.   
He had a pleading look in his eyes and was nodding ferverishly.   
"Er, yes Aunt Charlene, I haven't had my breakfast yet." She said, giving Uncle Alan an approving look.   
He gave her a thumbs up and said, "Did you hear that Charlene, the girl hasn't had her breakfast yet. Shouldn't let her wait. And make plenty more, its rude to let anybody eat such a hearty meal alone." He said, unable to hide his happiness.   
Aunt Charlene seemed to ignore him and said, "Mimi, could you give me tad bit of help in here?"   
Mimi hurried to the kitchen and said, "Mistress Lupin, do not break your back doing Mimi's chores, let Mimi make breakfast. Go get some rest."   
Jaimie walked out of the kitchen under the impression that she would take a shower and get dressed out of her pajamas. She walked up the stairs and straight into the room to find a tawny owl on her bed, a roll of parchment tied around its legs. It ruffled its wings as Jaimie walked across the door, clearly trying to get her attention. She hurried to the owl, and untied the roll of parchment from its leg. The owl flew to her desktop and shuffled about importantly.   
Jaimie unrolled the parchment and read it. It was from Damion. 

Dear Jaimie, 

This is probably a bad time to contact   
you, and I probably did not leave a very   
good memory of myself the last time we   
had last seen each other but please, I   
would like to see you again. I would like   
to give you a proper apology about what   
Serverus did. But not by letter. Please   
owl me back if you would consent to seeing   
me again. 

Damion 

How dare he? How could be possibly think of even owling her back? He had proved himself uncapable of any sort of emotion when he did not stop his 'friend' from cursing her. Angrily, she took a feather quill and an extra roll of parchment and wrote out a response to Damion's letter. 

I do not want to see you again, Damion.   
How dare you write me a letter even _asking_   
me to meet you? I would have thought you'd   
know the answer to that. Don't owl me again.   
I never want to see your face again. 

Jaimie 

It was a bit harsh, but Damion had, in a sense, let Snape torture her, even if it were for a moment. She felt that his act, or lack of one, was the act of betrayal. She had cared about him, gave him all the love she thought she had but it was a lie. _He_ was a lie. So without hesitation, she summoned the owl back on her bed, and tied her response, as well as his letter and sent the owl on its way. A half an hour later, Jaimie reemerged in the den quite refreshed and wearing a pleated skirt and top. Remus' cuts had now fully healed, but a round, bluish-purplish bruise was appearing on his forearm. He hastily covered it with his sleeve.   
There was a great deal of noise coming from the kitchen, and she guessed that Aunt Charlene and Mimi were trying to prepare a meal while Uncle Alan went around and sampled a bit of each of the cooking food, probably burning himself in the process. Jaimie sat down next to him, possibly even more in a bad mood than when she'd first come down. Remus who was reading an assigned book from school put it down and said, "Now what's eating you?"   
"Damion sent me a letter." Jaimie grumbled. Her arms crossed across her chest. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she gave off an impression of a fire.   
"What about?" Remus asked, immediately interested.   
"How he wanted to apologize for Snape's curse. I've never heard a bigger load of bull if it wasn't coming from one." She said, her green eyes resembling a small forest and her red hair burning that forest.   
"Maybe he really means it." Remus said hopefully, though he didn't believe his own words.   
"You and I both know that he doesn't. He's a Death Eater, Remus. We all know that." Jaimie stated.   
"I don't see the relevance of a Death Eater to not meaning he's sorry." Remus argued, though he wasn't sure why. After all, he had put the Cruciatus Curse on Jaimie and probably deserved all the pain he could recieve.   
"Death Eaters are untrustworthy, inhumane and evil people. They are uncapable of being sorry." Jaimie spat.   
"Hmm." Remus leaned back in his seat and recommenced reading his book. He didn't feel like arguing, especially with Jaimie. She may be kind but was also something like a tiger.   
Suddenly they heard a crash and the sound of voluminous pots and pans collapsing on the floor.   
"ALAN! GO-JUST GO!" Aunt Charlene's voice shrieked in the calm.   
Uncle Alan came out, his back to them, his arms up in defense, apologizing repeatedly. Jaimie and Remus looked interestedly over the back of the sofa at Uncle Alan hurrying from the kitchen door to his office in the corner. Jaimie could see Aunt Charlene shaking her head through the bar window that acted as a type of service counter. Jaimie and Remus looked at each other, and then went back to their activities, which were reading and just sitting on the sofa. Jaimie's eyes were wandering around the den, from the fancy candelabras-they didn't use muggle electricity-to the empty grate, or recently empty grate.   
Sirius' head was suspended in the flames, smiling impishly at her.   
"Sirius!" Jaimie cried.   
Remus put down his reading and said, "What are you doing here?" He got up from the sofa to the floor in front of the fireplace, Jaimie followed suit.   
"That's no way to treat a birthday boy is it?" Sirius said, slightly indignant.   
"Its not even your birthday yet, Sirius." Remus said knowledgeably.   
"Yes, but it will be in a week, and since I'll be legal, I'm looking for a flat for myself. You know, like a bachelor pad." Sirius' smile, if possible, got even wider.   
"I will give you ten galleons not to say that sentence ever again." Jaimie said, a bit irritated. Sitting on the floor with a skirt was no easy task.   
"What's wrong with it? Muggles in America use that saying all the time!" Sirius said, pretending to be taken aback.   
"But you're not American, and you're definitely no muggle." Jaimie explained.   
"Hmm. Nice skirt, you look ravishing."   
Jaimie blushed, "Shut it." She said simply.   
"So what are you doing here anyway?" Remus said, who had patiently been watching the exchange between Sirius and Jaimie.   
"Well, I was wondering if Ms. Dijon would like to accompany me on a flat-hunt." Sirius said matter-of-factly.   
"I suppose . . . why would you need me anyway? People would think that we were moving in together." Jaimie said, slightly disinclined to lead people to think of the wrong thought.   
"And?" Sirius said, unperturbed.   
"Oh . . . " Jaimie, Sirius and Remus all turned their heads in the direction of the kitchen: Aunt Charlene shrieked again, by the sound of it, she got burned. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."   
"Yes!" Sirius said, "Alright I'll come by and pick you up at eleven, we can have lunch while we're out."   
Sirius' head disappeared from the grate just as Aunt Charlene came out of the kitchen and said, "Breakfast is ready Remus and Jaimie, dear. Alan!"   
Uncle Alan's head popped out of his office and said, "I can eat?"   
"Of course, you can, now hurry up before the food gets cold." Aunt Charlene followed Jaimie and Remus into the kitchen and the breakfast nook.   
Jaimie hadn't eaten at the breakfast nook before. It was all very strange. There were four identical seats surrounding a circular glass table, a plate of yellow scrambled eggs and still sizzling bacon were in the middle of the table top, within everyone's reach. Aunt Charlene waited for the rest of the family to sit down, before taking her seat next to Uncle Alan and said a bit apologetically, "I hope this is alright, Jaimie, dear. I'm not sure that all this food is to your liking. I know its not as good as your mother's, but I tried." She gave a lopsided grin, and Jaimie returned it.   
"Don't worry, Auntie, I don't mind if its the same as my mother's, and I'm sure its just as delicious."   
Jaimie looked down at her plate and frowned. She wasn't so sure that she like Aunt Charlene trying to get everything to be like her sister. What's worse was that she made it even more impossible to forget about her life with her family. And no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible not to compare the Lupins from the Dijons. Getting a headache from thinking the way she was, she just handled her spoon and fork and dug into the sunny yellow eggs. They tasted wonderful. But they weren't her mother's.   
_Snap out of it Jaimie, stop comparing. It doesn't make any difference. Why can't you just be like Remus and appreciate what you have?_   
She looked around the kitchen nook and noticed Remus, her aunt and uncle digging into the food gratefully. And suddenly she knew why she couldn't learn to appreciate what she had.   
_ Because I have nothing._   
Jaimie, suddenly losing her appetite, said in the politest voice she possibly possessed, "Can I be excused?"   
All three of their sandy blonde heads disappeared and were replaced by identically bewildered faces. Aunt Charlene's expression of discomfort disappearred and was replaced by a pitying look. Jaimie hated pity. Especially if she were on the recieving end of it.   
"Of course you can, love." She said, in a maternal voice.   
"Thanks." Jaimie pushed her chair back and got up. Out of sheer politeness, she pushed the chair back in, gave a winning smile and said, "Its not because of your cooking, Auntie. Actually, it was excellent, but I'm just not hungry. Thank you for cooking for me though."   
Without a backward glance, she strode out of the kitchen at a steady pace, and once she was sure she was out of their range of vision, broke into a silent run for her bedroom. When she reached the vicinity of her bedroom door, she quickened her pace ten-fold, and by the time she reach her door, she bolted it open and collapsed on the bed, the mattress bouncing with the momentum of Jaimie's body. She took a steadying sigh, and lay idly on her bed, waiting, and partly dreading, eleven o'clock when Sirius would come get her for their outing.   
At one point, Remus came up to her door and knocked once, and asked almost as if he he really meant it, "Can I come in?"   
Jaimie flinched. She hadn't expected Remus to pop in so suddenly. Okay, maybe she did expect it just a little, but it was still a surprise for him to just appear. Remus had a serious expression on his face. He seemed worried, deep frown lines slashed his forehead, and his mouth was turned into an ugly frown. Jaimie was used to Remus looking serious, but he was never used to him looking so . . . worried.   
He walked in and sat down on the bed as Jaimie sat up too. He gave her a piercing look; one that would have made a pit bull run the other way, tail between legs. Had she done something wrong?   
"What's the matter, Remus?" Jaimie ventured.   
His expression died and was replaced by a look of pure exhaustion and Jaimie couldn't blame him. "Don't worry about me, what about you? Are you alright?"   
"Of course, Remus, why would you think otherwise?" It was a stupid question, she never should have asked it.   
"Well, downstairs, you went all quiet and then you just asked to leave. _And _you said that Mum's cooking was delicious and you just ran off."   
"I didn't run off." Jaimie said defensively.   
"Mimi was in her room, she saw you sprint away."   
"Oh."   
"Tell me what's wrong. Or can't you? Is it personal, do you need Lily or even Mum here?" Remus asked, almost getting up.   
"No, no its not _that_ personal. Its just . . . things have been hard. What with the Hogwarts Express, and Damion and then packing up all of our-my stuff and leaving the house I've grown up in forever. Its hard. And then your mum makes a comparison about her food to my mum's and I've been trying really hard not to make comparisons because looking back on what I don't have anymore isn't going to help. I've been trying to be optimistic, but now Aunt Charlene and Uncle Alan are in the order and they're fighting Voldemort and its too much. I couldn't take it."   
Remus had a politely bewildered though caring expression on his face. "What happened to you?"   
"What?" Jaimie asked, not expecting Remus to answer her in this way.   
"Well, you're now so wise, so deep, so . . . grown up." He said, his tone of voice in awe.   
"That's funny, because that's the way I've been think of you. I've been thinking: "Where was the awkward six year old who used to play wizard tag with me?"   
Remus face faded to a pensive one. "I guess . . . we've all grown up in a way. We're not as young as other people would like to think. At least we're not as dim-witted."   
Jaimie smiled sadly, "Things have definitely changed."   
"Yeah definitely."   
"We're not little kids anymore, Remus. We're all grown up now." A tear nearly escaped Jaimie's eye, but she held it back. 

Eleven o'clock came, and bringing along with it, Sirius Black. He wore a silver button up shirt, a casual leather jacket, and a pair of jeans which partially covered his black converses. Apparently he was applying for a muggle flat. He had barely arrived five minutes before Jaimie emerged in the same dark green pleated skirt but this time wearing a long sleeved, black shirt and wearing below-the-knee high, laced boots. She wore a beatnik hat on her head to keep herself cool.   
Sirius got up from his seat in the living room, surrounded by Uncle Alan, Aunt Charlene, Remus and the new arrivals of James and Peter.   
Sirius led the way to the fireplace, and almost let Jaimie through before himself, when Aunt Charlene said, "Jaimie, dear, I want you back here before eleven tonight, that should give you enough time for dinner, is that right Sirius, love?"   
"Yes, Mrs. Lupin." Sirius droned.   
"Alright, " She continued, not quite catching the bit of sarcasm and said to the pair of them, "Have a good day you two. Have fun!"   
Sirius and Jaimie didn't hear the last part as they were already spinning dizzily out of the brick grate. They emerged on the stone cobbled street of Diagon Alley though this time, the sky was not a murky grey and the atmosphere of the shopping area was not one that well suited a cemetary but one that suited, well, a shopping area. People with the day's shopping ran purposefully down the street, occassionally stopping and looking at the price of a product or picking one up and paying for it at the pay counter. Sirius walked away from the public fireplace and steered through the crowds, making a path through the sea of people to the brick wall that hid the Leaky Cauldron which was the entrance, or exit, to muggle London. There were three dustbins against the wall, Sirius counted the bricks knowingly above the dustbins and promptly, a large, brick arch replaced the wall. Sirius stepped through, the dustbins suddenly absent, and Jaimie followed him. They entered the dark and dusty bar, Tom the barkeeper standing behind the handsome wooden bar, wiping a shiny glass with a white cloth. As they made their way through, people watched them from above their glasses, their eyes narrowed and judgemental. Others even whispered to their neighbors, Jaimie not doubting that it was about them. Finally, when they reached the grimy green door at the other end, Jaimie let out a sigh of relief.   
"That felt like we were going through some kind of Wizengamot trial." Jaimie said relieved.   
"Yeah, what do you reckon they talked about?"   
"Don't know." Jaimie said truthfully, and followed Sirius as he walked down the crowding London street. They had been walking for some time, Sirius clutching a folded muggle newspaper, _The London Gazette._ Jaimie tried to look over his shoulder, which was just around her height, and saw that he had circled quite a few sections on the paper, no doubt adresses to possible flats. It would not be hard to find one in London. She landed back on her heels and said, "So have you thought about what you want in a flat?"   
"Yeah, these sound great, but I'd rather see it for myself, first. I wanted to get a wizard flat, but most of them would be around wizarding families that know me and my family's reputation. I don't want that, so I decided going to a muggle neighborhood would work best." He explained. 

Their first flat of the day wasn't so pleasant. It was the bottom most flat, a large grassy yard acted as a front lawn, but it more closely resembled an itchy, yellow carpet than grass. The house looked absolutely run down, and they didn't even bother to check the inside and left in a hurry. The next five flats were great. On the fifth flat, they had an appointment with the manager of the complex, and would be notified by phone if they would recieve the flat. Confused and not knowing what a 'phone' was, Sirius said, "What's that?"   
The manager just laughed, and said, "Been living under a rock, have you?"   
Sirius made to retort, but Jaimie stepped subtley on his foot and muttered, "Shut it." Then, she smiled widely and said, "Thanks again, Ms.-"   
"Nicols."   
"Ms. Nicols, maybe we should just come down in three days to check if we have the house." Jaimie smiled persuasively at the older woman.   
"Alright dear, if you say so."   
Sirius and Jaimie left, feeling a little confused, and completely bent on learning more about muggles. 

They had a stroke of luck on their next flat. A senile old man, by the name of Audric, was renting out the second story flat, on a nice hill overlooking the London skyline. It had a very homely look to the place, and the grass was well tended to. Sirius and Jaimie immediately liked the place, and the owner was willing to let Sirius rent it by the time he turned seventeen, which was in a week. Wanting to see the inside, Jaimie and Sirius followed the kindly man inside and were glad. It was very cozy, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a living room. The large bay window off the living room had a very clear view of the London skyline, flocked with buildings and flashing lights. Jaimie sat on the already set day bed and said, "Wow, this is beautiful, just think how much more beautiful it would be at night."   
"Yeah." Sirius sighed, apparently the fact that he would now be living on his own now just hitting him.   
"You know, I heard that its good luck to have a view of a the sun setting in the west." Jaimie said, knowingly.   
Sirius made to reply, but Audric interrupted him, "You listen to your wife, son. This house is lucky I tell you. I've had the best years of my life under this roof. Met my wife here you know. Lovely woman, never known anything like her. Best thing that could ever happen to any man."   
Jaimie blushed at being thought to be Sirius' wife by the old man. "We're not married," She said, with a sheepish grin.   
"Oh!" Said Audric, seemingly surprised.   
"Yeah, we're too young, we're still in school." Sirius continued, saying what were possibly his wisest words.   
"Oh, its never too young to get married. Not when you're truly in love. And besides, what with the way things are now, its better to experience life early on, than not experience it at all. I know you're both young, but you don't live forever. Just remember that." Audric gave them a steely glint and headed for the main door, "When you guys want to leave, just tell me up front, I'll lock up." 

Later that day, after having gone to several more different flats, though already knowing the one that Sirius would choose, they went back to Diagon Alley, though it took much longer as they had traversed much farther away from the shopping area than they had realized. Their stomachs were growling, their feet ached, their mouths were numb from smiling too much but they were satisfied. It had been a perfect ending to a not so perfect day. They reached the Leaky Cauldron just when the lights on the street sprung to life. Jaimie and Sirius jumped when they saw the sudden burst of lights, they didn't know muggle electricity worked so quickly. But they outgrew their amazement and stepped into the dark bar. As usual, it was packed with people who were all drinking or eating dinner or resting from a day's shopping. Sirius headed to the bar and ordered two bottles of butterbeer for himself and Jaimie, before he followed her to a semi-secluded corner near the back of the room and sat down at a table that seated two. Jaimie settled herself on the seat opposite Sirius and smiled thankfully at him. It was a nice day, though her boots weren't exactly the most comfortable thing to wear when walking.   
Sirius took off his jacket and laid it on his chair back and said, "Well, not as bad as I thought it would go. I honestly didn't think that I would find one this quick."   
"Yeah, which one are you going to choose?" Jaimie asked, though already knowing the answer.   
"The one on the hill. I know the guy may be a bit off his rocker, but its a good house."   
"Hmm, it was kind of funny that he thought that we were . . . " She giggled, the idea seemed so ludicrous to her.   
"Yeah . . . " Sirius sighed, he gave a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.   
Jaimie decided not to comment but said instead, "Did you see the way that lady with the large teeth was looking at you when she said that you wanted the flat?"   
"Hmm." Sirius murmured.   
"I thought she was going to start breathing fire through her nostrils.They were flaring so much that I thought she resembled a dragon." She continued, "I don't think that you would have gotten the flat if you paid her a million galleons. But who care's? You've got-"   
Jaimie faltered, Sirius had now held her hand that was on the table in his. He had an earnest expression on his face, and he was staring deeply into her eyes. A little apprehensive Jaimie said, "What's the matter? All of a sudden you look like you've swallowed a whole vile of armadillo bile."   
"Do you remember the first thing you thought of when you first saw me?" He was completely serious.   
Jaimie was confused. She didn't know whether to laugh or to answer him. She settled instead on, "What're you on about Sirius?"   
"What did you first think of when you saw me for the first time?" He repeated.   
"Why?" She pressed, getting suspicious.   
"Please, its important to me." He urged. He had a pleading look in his eyes.   
Relenting, Jaimie said, "Well, the first time I saw you was on the Hogwarts Express. I remember I was so shy and nobody wanted to come and sit with me because I had red hair and nobody wanted to know a redhead, so I just sat there by myself, being miserable. All of a sudden some big bugger came in and teased me and took some of my candy. He wouldn't leave me alone. And then, you walked by, and saw what was going on and you sort of . . . chased him away. Then, you came back into my compartment, smiled real big and said, 'Hi, I'm Sirius Black, I'm sorry about the big bloke, I don't think he will bother you again.' and then you just sort of, went away.   
"But from then on, whenever I wanted to see anything happy again I just think about the first time you smiled at me." Jaimie blushed.   
Sirius, who was still clutching her hand said, "What?" He was very interested in her tale.   
"Well," Jaimie continued, "I don't expect that that idiot would have left me alone if you hadn't come. It could've gotten much worse, but you were there to my rescue." She said simply.   
Sirius smiled back at her, and he leaned in toward her, and planted his lips softly on hers. Jaimie closed her eyes and let Sirius lead her. He pulled away from her, though his face was still very close to hers, and and gazed piercingly into her eyes. They sat there, barely two inches away from each other, unaware that they were gaining funny looks from the other customers in the bar. At lenght Jaimie whispered, though she needn't have had to, "What was that for?"   
"Beacuse," Sirius replied. He kissed her again, and held her face to his. Tom, the barkeeper, had placed their order of butterbeer on their table, watching, with wide eyes and immense interest, the two liplocked teenagers. 

When they had finished with their dinner a while later and were just about sick of being ogled at as if they were entertainment, Jaimie and Sirius left the Leaky Cauldron and headed for the public fireplace. Outside on the cobble stone street of Diagon Alley, very few people wandered about, most of them closing up shop as it was very late indeed. They didn't pay attention to them, though.   
They reached the fireplace and stopped. Jaimie grabbed a handful of floo powder and cast it into the flame. She gave Sirius a smile, before she went through, but Sirius said, "Wait."   
Jaimie turned around. Sirius looked pale in the moonlight that they were bathed in. Jaimie suspected that they resembled a scene straight out of an old muggle movie her mother had let her watch. Sirius had a look of sad desire on his face, his hands were in the pockets of his jacket. He gave a deep breath and said sombrely, "I love you, Jaimie."   
Jaimie looked down at the ground, and smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes, which had the same sad expression as was on Sirius' face. "Please don't say it, unless you mean it."   
Sirius didn't reply. Jaimie brushed her lips against his briefly before she turned around and went through the fireplace and out of sight.   
Now that Jaimie was gone, life seemed to continue around Sirius. The sound of the shop keepers closing up could be heard much louder in the still night air. He could even hear the sound of distant owls hooting.   
But Jaimie's last words were still echoing around him. It was in the stone of the street, the brick of the building. Inside his very heart. It hurt him to hear those words, and he couldn't bear thinking about them.   
_"Please don't say it, unless you mean it."_   
"But I do." Sirius whispered in dark.   
He stood there a moment, lost in the night, lost in thought, but most of all, lost in the girl he loved.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

_A/N: Hmm . . . it seems someone has thought it amusing to force me into a beauty pageant. Of all the people who could join a beauty pageant, me? I don't think so. On the bright side though, someone refered me to a foreign exchange program and I could have 21 days out of the country and spend it in France, Germany, Switzerland and/or Spain. Is that cool or what?! I swear I will join. But there's a fat chance that I won't. :( I could always just join the stupid pageant and go to France, Germany, Switzerland and/or Spain from there. _No? _(That last part was supposed to be french. hehe)_   
  



	13. Ordinary Day

**Ordinary Day**

_And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words_   
_Although they did not feel_   
_For I felt what I had not felt before_   
_You'd swear those words could heal._   
_And I as looked up into those eyes_   
_His vision borrows mine._   
_And to know he's no stranger,_   
_For I feel I've held him for all of time.___

_And he said take my hand,_   
_Live while you can_   
_And if we walk now we will divide and conquer this land._   
_Don't you see your dreams are right in the palm of your hand_   
_Right in the palm of your hand_   


A week had passed by, and Sirius had never found his birthday more exciting. Though he didn't know what he would do on his actually birthday it was a big difference from the usually depressing sixteen birthdays   
prior to this one. His reasoning being that instead of being surrounded by 'family' who expected him to be just as evil as they were, he was surrounded by a real family who loved him and let him be who he was.   
The Potters had decorated their living room with a banner that said "Happy Seventeenth Birthday!" that changed colors every so often, they had magical confetti that gave off tiny sparks when they touched anything   
solid, and a birthday cake that had a picture of Sirius' image, smiling and waving on its surface. They had all done it in about a second, and in the quiet of the morning before Sirius woke up. They wanted it to be a   
surprise. Jaimie, Lily, Remus and Peter as well as some of the Order of the Phoenix members attended his little party, planning on giving him a small surprise. They had decided on letting Jaimie wake him up, as the   
theory was she could coerce him to get up much easier than the others could.   
Tiptoeing up the stairs, Jaimie made her way to Sirius' room, which was the first door on the left. She rapped softly upon the door three times and getting no answer, opened the door, to find Sirius admiring his   
reflection on the mirror, wearing a pair of jeans and a dark shirt. From the mirror, he saw Jaimie's head pop into the room and he turned around and smiled at her.   
"No wonder you didn't answer when I knocked." Jaimie teased.   
"Oh, I didn't hear you." He said, apologetically."Well, this is it." He sighed, swinging his arms forward and back.   
Jaimie nodded, "You're officially not a child anymore."   
"Yeah,"   
Jaimie came up to Sirius, and placed herself against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, held her in place, and rested his chin on her head.   
They were silent for a moment. At length, Jaimie parted herself from him and said, "Come on, let's go."   
Jaimie headed for the door, but felt Sirius' hand enclose over her own. She turned around and he said, "Remember that night, when we were looking for flats?"   
Jaimie sighed. She knew this talk would come. They had been avoiding this conversation since the night they had parted at the fireplace. She remembered what had happened when she arrived at the Lupin   
household. She found that the living room was empty, but the candles were lit, ready for her arrival. She had gone upstairs, hoping that no one would come and ask her about her day, until she could make of it what it   
was herself. She laid there for hours and hours, wanting desperately to talk to Lily about her feelings, all the while trying to decipher them herself, though not suceeding. Deep down, she knew the answer to Sirius'   
candidness, thought she didn't want to acknowledge it. It was in front of her face all along, and yet she couldn't admit it. To admit it was to kill Sirius, and she couild not handle another death.   
She snapped out of her reverie and said, "Of course. How could I forget it?"   
"Well, do you remember, that I-that I told you that I loved you?" Sirius said, still holding Jaimie's hand.   
Jaimie nodded.   
"And you said not to say it unless I meant it? Well I meant it. And I still do. I love you, Jaimie." He looked solemnly at her, looked inside her, into her eyes.   
She looked back at him, knowing deep down what to say, though not having the gall to say it. Sirius unhooked his hand from hers, and collapsed on his bed. He looked slightly pale, but stared determinedly at   
Jaimie. She came up to him, placed his head against her stomach, and held her there, stroking his hair gently. In turn, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and hugged her middle tightly.   
"I know," She sighed.   
A minute passed and neither moved. They heard footsteps on the landing outside, and heard a brief knock on the door and James' muffled voice calling, "What happened to you guys? Did you disapparate or   
something? Sirius and Jaimie, if you're in there and I know you are, come down. Mum's having a fit."   
His footsteps started up and slowly died. Sirius looked at Jaimie, a question in his eyes. Jaimie merely shrugged and said, "Let's go downstairs, shall we?"   
Sirius stood up, and gave her his arm. Looping her hand around his, Jaimie walked through the door and down the stairs, making sure that everyone was well hidden before Sirius made his appearance. Jaimie   
reached the floor, as she heard Sirius' clunking footsteps on the stairs behind her. She wanted to squeal with girlish delight, but kept herself in check. After all, it was a surprise.   
Sirius' eyes widened for a minute, as his foot hit the floor with a thud. His eyes, softened to a look of delight as in unison, the guests of his seventeenth birthday jumped, lunged, sprung and apparated from the   
hiding places yelling "Surprise! Happy seventeenth birthday, Sirius!"   
Jaimie laughed next to Sirius as he wobbled forward, clutching Jaimie's outstretched hand and said, "You shouldn't have!"   
"Oh Sirius, darling, don't talk nonsense!" Mrs. Potter said, hurrying forward with the beautiful cake, the seventeen magical candles sparking on their wax sticks nestled into the frosting. For once, Sirius had no   
remark to say. This was truly the most beautiful, well second most beautiful, sight he had ever seen. James watched him with amusement, laughing about how Sirius seemed to lose the ability to string two words   
together.   
Remus laughed at his plight, and Peter, nearly on the verge of happy tears, blinked furiously to keep them back.   
"Well, say something, you twit!" James teased lightly.   
"Gaflab." Was all he managed.   
James shrugged, and turned to Remus. "Good enough." He said satisfied.   
Then, Mr. Longbottom called from an unseen corner, saying, "Dim the lights!"   
Jaimie heard several voices muttering "Nox!" and the lights obediently following the spells.   
Then, at once, the little room erupted into a rendition of "Happy Birthday," Sirius, still clasping Jaimie's hand.   
His cheeks were tinged with a bit of pink, and his lips were fixed in an eternal smile. Jaimie laughed, her voice disappearing from the others singing and didn't stop until the song had ended and James and Remus   
erupted in yells of "Wish! Wish!"   
Smiling around, Sirius said in his most sincere voice, "What more could I ask for? I have everything I need around me."   
"Lots more!" James replied. He was responded by a round of light slaps.   
They all laughed, and Sirius closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them again, took out his wand, and swung it over the cake, the sparks on the candles tip extinguishing as he brought the wand over the   
cake's surface until all the candles were unlit and smoke rose from the candles' charred wicks.   
They all clapped and cheered, and Peter, in a surprise display of spontaniety suddenly burst, "Hah! Padfoot did his first bit of legal magic! Who knew it would be snuffing out a couple of candles?"   
Sirius sent sparks in his direction. Peter clumsily dodged them by leaping sidways and trodding on the foot of the man next to him. It sent a chain reaction through the people behind him. The man whose foot was   
trodden on by Peter, elbowed the man next to him, trying to clutch his foot in pain. When the round of "Oohs!" and "Ouches!" had stopped, Peter stared ashen faced at the damage he'd caused and apologized.   
But everyone else was laughing too hard to hear him. Jaimie watched with a smile at the scene before her, trying to supress her giggles. In between Mr. Potter's gasps for breath, he announced to the gathering,   
"Time for presents!" and at once, the laughter died, and rushed to the sitting area, where next to the a bookshelf laden with spell books was a small pile of presents that surprisingly was unnoticed to Sirius. His eyes   
widened. Usually, with the Blacks, he had gotten unwanted Dark Arts presents like biting books, shrieking boxes and a sackful of some powder that looked highly questionable. And the packages they had come in   
were not inviting either. They were usually wrapped in red paper that reminding one strongly of oozing blood, or black paper with skulls that laughed dersively; but the ones that the Potters and all the other guests had   
given to Sirius weren't suspicious looking. They were wrapped in bright paper, ribbons and such, the same things one would expect to find a birthday present in-at least in the wizard world.   
Sirius sat down on the floor next to the pile, his guests crowding around him, pointing at him to open their presents first. Sirius was getting so confused that instead of choosing the presents himself, Jaimie ended   
up handing him random ones to open. There were many marvelous things inside them, a package of chocolate frogs, spell books (the ones that were fun to read) a set of gobstones, shoes, wand polishing kit and the   
list went on and on. Finally, the coffee table that was in the middle of the crowded room was laden with opened presents, and the floor that they had once occupied was littered with their wrapping paper, some of it   
still shaped like the boxes that held the presents. Sirius finally tore the handsome red wrapper off a large, brown leather bound book. Sirius ran his hand over the face of the book before he opened it and found himself   
looking at a moving miniature picture of James, Remus, Peter, Lily and himself on the school grounds. Their uniforms hanging loosely on them, as they usually did whenever their classes had ended. Jaimie was   
nowhere to be seen, so he assumed that she had taken the pictures. As he looked through the photos in the book, he didn't notice that the room had suddenly gone quiet. Jaimie was looking at the pictures over   
Sirius' shoulder, a half-smile playing on her lips.   
Sirius watched with concentration as each of his miniature selves laughed and smiled and waved at him.   
"Do you like it?" Jaimie asked him softly.   
"Yeah, I've never had the luxury of pictures. My family always thought they would lead to our downfall." He explained most reasonably, despite the fact the entire gathering had just burst into a fit of laughter.   
He didn't notice as the photographs had held his attention. This was his family, the only family he had ever known. Suddenly, the small crowd had parted, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter came striding carefully up to   
Sirius, Mr. Potter's hands held behind his back an envelope in his hands though Sirius didn't see. He stood up and set the leather book on the coffee table and clapped his hands together. Mr. Potter and Mrs. Potter,   
and now James and his other friends stood behind them, eternal smiles plastered on their faces.   
"Sirius," Mr. Potter began, "You've become something like a second son to us. You've always been welcome here, and you've definitely made yourself to be a Potter. I'm proud of you."   
Sirius smiled placidly back. "Thanks Mr. Potter." He replied with a nod.   
"And I just hope you know, that you'll always be welcome here, we'll always have food and a bed with your name on it." Mrs. Potter added, her warm face shining with sincerity.   
Words failed him and he just nodded.   
"Now, since its your seventeenth birthday, the Ministry of Magic have just seen fit to give us quite a bit of news. First, I'm sorry to tell you, but your uncle Alphard had died of heart failure just last fall." At these   
words, the wind seemed to be knocked out of Sirius, as if a troll had gone and hit him on his abdomen and sent him flying.   
"My parents never told me?" Sirius managed.   
"That's the thing Sirius. Your parents had gone to the reading of his will and testament and have just sent us word of how it went. His family, your aunt and cousins, has received most of his possessions, but your   
uncle has seen fit to leave you four-thousand galleons, all of which has already been transferred to your own vault this morning."   
Mr. Potter watched, with great amusement, at Sirius' bemused reaction. His mouth had dropped slightly and he stared disbelievingly at Mr. Potter. James, Remus and Peter were laughing conspiratorially behind   
him and Jaimie and Lily stood next to Sirius; clutching Jaimie's much lower shoulder for support.   
"Fo-fo. Four thousand galleons?!" Sirius exclaimed.   
Jaimie gaped at Mr. Potter. Four thousand galleons? Wasn't it Sirius who had gone about, telling everyone he saw that his family had hated his guts? So why had this uncle of his just given him four thousand   
galleons?   
"Yes, four thousand galleons and its all yours." Mr. Potter repeated conversationally.   
"All mine." Sirius repeated slowly, the grin on his face widening, if possible.   
James suddenly appeared at his shoulder and said, "Four thousand galleons is a lot of money, Padfoot."   
"And its all mine." Sirius repeated mechanically.   
"Think what we can do with that kind of money." Remus said contemplatively.   
"Uh-uh!" Mrs. Potter interjected as Peter decided to put in a word. "You are not to touch that money until you have moved out. You are to live with us a couple more weeks and then you can touch your money. I will   
not give you a reason to spend a sickle. Four thousand galleons is a lot of money but if it is spent unwisely it will run out."   
She looked so forbidding that Sirius chose not to argue. Instead, he had taken the receipt that Mr. Potter had handed to him. It was a copy of his favorite uncle's will. It was written in a swirly, barely legible writing,   
although one sentence did stand out among the jumble of swirly writing near the end of the last paragraph. 

. . . and last of all my earthly possessions, I choose to leave my nephew, Sirius Black, four-thousand (4,000) galleons ten (10) sickles and twenty-three (23) knuts in that precise amount from my vault in Gringott's   
Wizard Bank to be left in his name. 

It was legal, written and bound by magic and was endorsed in what seemed to be a signature inscribed in a red ink that alarmingly resembled blood.   
Four thousand galleons . . . and it was all his. Neither Bellatrix nor Narcissa or even Andromeda inherited the money and they were his daughters. Bellatrix amd Narcissa were nasty daughters mind you, but   
daughters nonetheless. All his . . . He knew he liked at least someone, besides of course his cousin Andromeda, in the Black family. After all, he was the only one who had bothered to care about Sirius when he had   
run away.   
These thoughts zoomed quickly by in Sirius' mind, and it showed in his face too as Jaimie and the others had rarely seen a thoughtful expression on his face before. Getting scared, Jaimie nudged his shoulder,   
and looked questioningly in his face.   
Sirius stared back and was back to normal. His mouth cracked into a wide and dangerously attractive grin and said, "Four thousand galleons! Do you reckon how many things you can get at Zonko's?" He   
whispered connivingly.   
Neither one of them answered as Mrs. Potter had suddenly announced that Sirius would cut his cake. Sirius as well as the five others walked up to the table, his image on the cake smiling cheekily at him. Sirius   
handled his wand again and made a slicing movement in the air. A split in the cake's surface indicated that he had cut it. Thus the first piece of the homemade cake was handed around the small gathering. Since   
there were no more traditional formalities to be done, the adults and the young adults all parted ways. The adults conspiring to one another about some grown-up business, most likely about the battles between   
themselves and Voldemort's legions. Meanwhile, Jaimie, Lily, Remus, Peter, Sirius and James all ambled to the kitchen and to the back door under the pretense of going out, but they were dismayed, as when James   
pulled away the curtain hiding the view through the glass door that it was raining like it had never rained before. And in the summer, too. So now, with the depressing thought of being confined to the Potters' house on   
a potentially beautiful day, they piled around the abandoned living room and sat around, doing nothing in particular.   
James was idly playing with the tassel of one of his mother's throw pillows, while Remus and Peter played an amusing game where they tried to dodge the other's slapping hand, Sirius was on the couch and   
Jaimie sat next to him, laying her head on his shoulder while Lily sat with her chin in her hands, looking positively bored. James, struck with a sudden brilliant idea started to share it with the others when suddenly,   
they heard a loud crack and a person apparating amidst them, landing on the coffee table in the middle. The table collapsed into hundreds of tiny slivers of wood but thankfully Sirius' presents had been moved from its   
tabletop. They all stood up wands raised pointing in the newcomer's direction. The adults had come rushing into the living room, their wands raised also, their faces contorted in anger. But none more so that Mrs.   
Potter, who gave a loud wail when she saw the state of her beautiful coffee table and who had caused the wreckage.   
"My table! Jacob, I know you just learned how to apparate, but please watch where you appear! Repairo!" Mrs. Potter cried, as she angrily magically fixed the table again.   
"Sorry Mrs. P, didn't mean to land on your table." The newcomer, Jacob, apologized hurriedly. His american accent greatly differed from the others in the room. And it was not only his accent but his choice of   
clothing. He wore pants that flared past the knees and his Led Zeppelin tee shirt was ripped artfully. Led Zepplin was a popular American rock star but was more prominent to muggles than wizards.   
Jacob stepped away from the coffee table as though he were apt to break it again. Then he took a look at Jaimie and the others and proceeded to Mr. Potter and handed him the rolled up parchment. Mr. Potter   
hastily read it, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. The ones who could look over his shoulder read with increasing alarm on their faces, indeed Frank Longbottom's face was turning an ugly puce. When they were   
done, Mr. Potter said, "We'll have to go; all of us. You six," He indicated to Jaimie and the others, "stay here. Under no circumstances should you leave this house. I'm warning you, we'll know when you step out of the   
door, you four." He stared menacingly at Peter, Remus, Sirius and James. James receiving the worst look.   
"What's happened?" James asked.   
"Never you mind. Just stay put and keep out of trouble. I mean it, James."   
James gave him an indignant look, either from being told to stay put like a child or by getting the heft of the blame for something he had not done. Or hadn't yet done.   
"But I haven't done anything yet and your accusing me!" James cried.   
"But knowing you, you will. So stay put, do not go looking for trouble." Mr. Potter said warningly.   
Giving up, James just shrugged his shoulders and his father took it as a sign of agreement and then called to the others, "Right, let's get going. Jacob, you stay here and guard them. You'll be more helpful this   
way. Behave you, lot. This means you, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter." And with that, he and the other dozen adults disapparated, the sound of their disapparation much louder than when only one person   
disapparated. Thus Jaimie, Sirius, Lily, James Remus and Peter were left alone with Jacob. They all stood awkwardly in one side, while poor Jacob was in the other, idly clapping his hands and smiling placidly. In a   
pathetic attempt to strike up conversation, Jacob offered, "So you're all going to Hogwarts. You're all in the same grade, right?"   
"Grade?" James asked, confused.   
"Oh, uh, class, age, semester, you know, grade?"   
They all stared blankly at him.   
"Oh, how could I explain it? You know, first grade, second grade, third grade and so on?" He spelled out.   
"Oh you mean year? As in, what year are you on?" Lily said, with a sudden wave of understanding.   
"Is that what you call it? God, you guys are weird." Jacob said, laughing stupidly.   
Jaimie gave Sirius a reproving look.   
"Well, what year are you guys in?" Jacob reiterated.   
"Seventh, the last one." James said, clearly getting annoyed.   
"And what school did you go to?" Lily offered, trying to be friendly and erase the tone of hostility growing on James' part.   
"Oh, uh, I went to Salem Institute of Magic. Third in my class." He added proudly, giving Lily a cheeky expression.   
"Oh go figure." Lily said uncomfortably.   
Sensing tension, James said, "Um, you guys, I got to go get something from the kitchen, Lily, could you help me?" He walked briskly away from the living room and Jacob, Lily following him.   
Sirius, not one to tolerate someone that annoyed him paced to the sofa, Jaimie's hand in his and sat down. He put his arm around her possesively and gave Jacob the evil eye. Sensing Sirius' gaze, Jacob walked   
carefully around Sirius and sat down on a chair farthest away from him. Remus walked to the sofa and took the spot next to Jaimie, sitting rather closer than what was necessary. Peter stood uncomfortably for a   
moment before following James' and Lily's steps to the kitchen.   
The silence in the room did nothing to hide the hostility Sirius was emanating. Jaimie, feeling sorry for Jacob said, "So how old are you, Jacob?"   
Looking at Jaimie with a confused look on his face he said, "Sorry, must have zonked out for a sec, what did you just say?"   
"Oh, uh how old are you?" Jaimie asked, not understanding for the life of her what he said.   
"I'm twenty years old." He said simply.   
"So your only a few years older than us?" Jaimie asked, surprised.   
"Yep." Jacob said, stretching his arms up toward the sky in a sort of masculine way. Sirius snorted.   
"How old are you guys?" Jacob asked, nodding his head at them.   
"Seventeen." Sirius said gruffly.   
"Well, actually, me and Remus are sixteen. I'll be seventeen in a month and Remus'll be seventeen in a week." Jaimie said matter-of-factly.   
"So, you two are dating?" Jacob said, changing the subject and referring to Jaimie and Sirius.   
"Yeah. For a year now." Sirius' tone was one of finality.   
Jacob, losing the thread of conversation closed his mouth for a minute. Jaimie, pitying Jacob who was only trying to be friendly, was about to say something encouraging to him when the swinging french doors   
swung open, pivoting on their hinges. Peter ambled into the room and sat down on the sofa slightly away from Remus, his arms crossed in an indignant manner. Curious, Remus said, "What happened in there? Does   
James need any more help?"   
"No, apparently he has enough help what with Lily. They just gave me the boot." He said glumly.   
"Why?" Sirius asked.   
"I think he just wanted to have alone time with Lily. Stupid prat." Peter said, with a derisive chuckle.   
Sirius was about to say something when Jacob interrupted. "Is Lily that hot red head in there?" He asked, his interest sparked again.   
"Yes." Sirius said shortly, not even turning around to look at Jacob.   
"Oh." Jacob paused. "Does James have a claim on her or something? Is that why they went into the kitchen, to get some privacy?" He tried to hide his eagerness.   
"Well-" Jaimie began but Remus cut in.   
"Yes. Yes, he does." He said, distastefully.   
Jaimie looked at him in surprise. Remus was never one to lie about his friends, well except of course when it got them out of trouble, but he never lied about the fact that Lily more that despised James, yet here he   
was, telling this stranger that they were going out. Did their dislike for this newcomer really that awful? Having had enough, Jaimie stood up abruptly and surprised the other boys in the room.   
"Pardon me, Jacob, but could you excuse me and these boys?" She dragged Sirius and Remus up by their arms. Peter stood up automatically. "I think I heard James and Lily calling for help."   
She left the room and straight into the kitchen where James and Lily were nowhere to be seen. Jaimie stopped and turned briskly around to face them. She crossed her arms and gave them a foreboding look.   
Completely nonplused, Sirius said, "What?"   
"What do you guys think you're doing-" But what they did, they did not find out as suddenly, a large explosion had drowned out Jaimie's words and nearly deafened them.   
Jaimie gave a shriek of fright as Sirius nimbly tackled her to the ground and protected her with his body. Blinded by Sirius' torso, she faintly heard the sound of two thumps beside her. She presumed that Remus   
and Peter had gone down on the floor next to them. She wanted to see if they were alright but she could not move, for a minute she thought she was paralyzed. Slowly, her hearing returned to normal and she could   
hear the cackling of flames and the sound of wooden splinters collapsing around them. Sirius quickly jumped to his feet, Remus adnd Peter following suit. They all took out their wands and pointed at the now   
demolished wall, but they saw no shadowy figure no suspicious bodies ambling around. It seemed Jacob had perished in the blaze. But they could not find his body anywhere. Suddenly, they heard another bang   
behind them and thought it was another explosion, but it was only James and Lily coming into the house from the backyard, completely drenched, their clothes sticking to their bodies like glue.   
"What the bloody hell has happened here?" He said, taking out his wand. Lily did the same.   
They looked around the kitchen. The wall which blocked the living room from the kitchen was completely destroyed. The remains of the muggle refrigerator and stove were in shattered ruins and they could see what   
was left of the house through the immense gap in the wall. It was as if there wasn't a wall there at all. There was also a large hole in the ceiling and Sirius' and James' bedroom were ready to collapse at any second   
into the living room. All of Mrs. Potter's furnishings were ruined and were in burned pieces, the rugs all reduced to ash and the family portraits that hung decoratively on the wall were burning as they watched. Jacob   
was nowhere to be seen, he must have gone by the first explosion. And he was so young, too.   
Jaimie, unable to think of anymore deaths, clung to Sirius, not only because she was afraid of what had happened, she also didn't want him to . . . to go. Sirius wrapped a protective arm around her and held her   
tight. Jaimie buried her face in his chest and sobbed. James walked up to them and said, "Sirius, Jaimie, listen we all have to-"   
But then a crack, not like an explosion but like a person apparating, erupted and Jacob, his clothes badly tattered and his curly blonde hair ruffled, appeared. He held his wand loosely at his side and he was   
vacillating slightly. Jaimie looked up and her eyes widened. He was alright! Jaimie could hardly supress her happiness.   
"You're alright? We-I-" She stuttered.   
"I'm alright. And what about you guys? Are you alright?"   
"We're all fine." Sirius said weakly.   
"Good, we have to get out of here. Hundreds of Death Eaters are marching down the street, and it seems they know that an Order member lives here. We've got to get you out of here. Quickly out this back door,   
and be quiet. Any sign of danger, I want you to hold them off as much as you can. James, Lily, Sirius, you three seem more than capable to do magic, protect these other three. Keep them from doing any magic, the   
less the Ministry is involved the better. I want you all to wait in the Leaky Cauldron and just sit tight. Don't leave the pub, Tom'll keep you occupied." He urged them all toward the back door, but Jaimie didn't move.   
"What about you?! What are you going to?!" She asked frantically.   
"I'm an Order member, didn't you know? I have to keep them from hurting more people, until the others get here, they should be arriving any moment now. Don't worry," He added, noting the expression of panic in   
Jaimie's face, "I'll be fine." He pushed her out the door and bolted out of it himself, before they heard the sound of the second floor collapsing over the first. They all watched as the house literally crumbled before their   
eyes. The smoke and ash flew over them and they shielded their eyes and mouths from the acrid smell of smoke. Once it was better to breathe, Jacob said, "Be careful. Death Eaters are running around. Do not go   
looking for a fight with one of them. Follow my orders, someone will come get you when its all over!"   
Then he turned for the fence and bolted over it and out of sight.   
They all hurried for the door in the fence. Silently, James eased it open and they all crept out of the backyard. They ended up in a sort of alley behind James' house. They were in London, so it wouldn't be too   
difficult to reach Diagon Alley, it was avoiding the Death Eaters that would be the difficult part. But James seemed to know what he was doing. He walked the length of the alley, the houses keeping them out of sight.   
When he reached the corner that led to the street, he peered around it and checked if the coast was clear. It seemed that it was alright to go and they hurried forward, keeping a steady pace, making sure that they   
kept out of sight. The rain pounded the pavement around them, and they were already soaked when they had first stepped outside the once sheltered home of the Potters'. It was slow moving. Each time they turned a   
corner they checked for more Death Eaters. The battle that they presumed had ensued in front of James' house had begun and they could hear the sounds of spells led astray doing their job. The spells they were   
casting were so powerful that a piece of wood had landed a couple feet in front of them, its edges smoking. They looked in alarm at each other and quickened their pace.   
Soon, they were out of residential London and were seeing more shops and things of the like. Despite the heavy rain and the dark grey sky, there were still very many muggles out and about, their umbrellas   
opened, the rain sliding down the plastic covers. They hurried through the streets and tried to be as inconspicuous as six soaking wet teenagers carrying smoothly sanded sticks could be. Which as you can imagine   
was pretty difficult. Jaimie kept looking behind her, sure that a Death Eater in their faceless masks and black cloaks would come pounding down the street and kill off everyone around her. But none came, to her   
relief.   
Finally, they had trodden the familiar path that led to the Leaky Cauldron which was just ten blocks away when suddenly, out of nowhere a blinding red light zoomed past them and hit the closest street lamp which   
exploded upon impact. The force of the spell sent a couple of muggles as well a postbox, a bench and of course the street lamp flying into the air. The scene alarmed all that were walking on the sidewalk and sent   
them screaming and diving to the ground covering their heads. The six of them turned around and saw five lone Death Eaters in the far corner, pointing their wands in their directions ready to cast another spell that   
surely wouldn't miss. Alarmed they all pelted down the street, James, Sirius and Lily shooting random stunning spells in the Death Eaters' direction. They turned the corner, their footsteps pounding the pavement,   
kicking up little droplets of rain at the passers by. They kept running, water running up their noses occasionally when they took a breath, hoping that they would lose them but the Death Eaters were hot on their trail,   
shooting more destructive spells after them. Sirius had let go of Jaimie's hand and was helping James and Lily with the stunning spells. Eventually the two boys slowed down behind an alley and with them the other   
four.   
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Remus asked between gasps of air.   
"We'll stall them, take the girls and Peter and go! Take them to Diagon Alley and send for help as soon as you can!" James said, shooting not only stunning spells but also another spell that Jaimie recognized as   
the Impediment Jinx.   
"Yes hurry, We can't stall them for very long you know!" Sirius said, not looking at Remus but at Jaimie who was behind him.   
"No." She said stubbornly. "I'm not leaving you. Not after . . . no I'll fight them with you. I can help, I won't let you fight them alone."   
"Jaimie, we'll be fine. Just listen to me. Please go, it'll be better this way, just send for help as quick as you can!" Sirius said, in between throwing spells at the pursuing Death Eaters.   
"No I won't leave you!" She yelled and she planted herself next to the numerous crates in the alley.   
"Please Jaimie, listen to Sirius and James. They can handle themselves, we can always send for help." Lily pleaded.   
"No." She backed herself even further down the alley under the impression that she was making a stand. Couldn't they see she couldn't leave Sirius? She couldn't let him get captured so easily, not like her family.   
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't see the Death Eater behind her who had just pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, a boot in his hand, and had grabbed her in a headlock.   
Jaimie barely heard the anguished yells of Sirius, James, Remus and Lily as she felt a jerking sensation underneath her navel and was zooming out of the London alley.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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_A/n: Once again, after a whole month, I have a new chapter. Phew that took a while didn't it? Thank you to everyone, AshleyConnor, Mishi6, Lj, pRoNgSMoOnYPaDfOoT, SiobhanBlack2, Zeldagirl436, Alcapacien, Phototropism, Nicole Black and everyone else, I'm sorry if I missed anybody, just tell me and I'll mention you in the next post. I love you all to death!! Muahs, muahs!_


	14. A Hard Day's Night

**Hard Day's Night**

_It's been a hard day's night_

_And I've been working like a dog_

_It's been a hard days night_

_I should be sleeping like a log_

_But when I get home to you_

_I know the things that you do_

_Will keep me working all night_

  
  


Jaimie's body knocked uncomfortably against the Death Eater's, her fingers magically plastered to the boot that served as their portkey, which was sending her and her captor to places unknown and to her sure doom. _Well,_ _I won't die without a fight, _she though resolutely.   
Finally, after a heart wrenching second that seemed to stretch for an eternity, Jaimie felt her booted feet hit the soft mud which sank a few inches into the muck, the Death Eater as well, though neither of them kept their balance and both toppled backwards into the mud; the boot that was in the Death Eater's hand falling away unnoticed. The rain still pelted down on their heads and Jaimie hoped that it was a sign that she was near London, though none of her surroundings looked familiar. In fact, it was a far from familiar surrounding, for, stretched out on Jaimie's right were little stone grave markers, unblemished, though more than a few   
were missing chunks from their decaying stones. The grass was unkempt and yellowing. Weeds that reached past Jaimie's knees peeked out all over the graveyard, and the small area that she and the Death Eater   
were standing in was the only area in the whole habitation free of dead grass or weeds. To her left loomed a large gray brick church. She knew it was a church because she saw the iron crucifix standing erect on the   
front side of the shingled roof.   
Although these sights did not please her, they no less fueled her resolution to fight off the Death Eater. But he showed no signs of wanting to kill her. In fact, his wand wasn't even in his hands and he was standing   
relaxed opposite her. Seeing that he wasn't going to be speaking, Jaimie said, "I know your ways, you won't trick me."   
The Death Eater remained stoic.   
Jaimie, unfazed, continued, "If you want to kill me, you're going to have to-"   
Jaimie didn't finish her sentence as the Death Eater had tackled her to the muddy ground. Dexterously, he overpowered her using his body to pin hers to the ground. Luckily, he wasn't fast enough to grab both of   
Jaimie's wrist and she managed to unseat him and gained the advantage on top. But she was no heavyweight and surely the Death Eater had lifted things twice as heavy as she was and soon mastered her again,   
though this time, he had gotten hold of both her wrists, and sat on her so that she was rendered prostrate. Regretting that she wasted her time talking instead of running, Jaimie laid pinned to the ground, this time for sure she was going to die. But the Death Eater remained still atop her. He was breathing heavily, the mask keeping most of the rain off of his face, as well as hiding his identity from her. Rain fell on them, water coming in through Jaimie's nostrils. Jaimie choked and spat all the while struggling to get free. She fought with all her might and still the Death Eater would not budge. Her strength failing her, she relaxed, and with frightened eyes, merely watched with dreadful anxiety at what was to happen to her.   
"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" The Death Eater asked once Jaimie had calmed down.   
"Bugger off." Jaimie said rudely catching her breathe. She was angered that the Death Eater could be so conversational and sound so calm at the time of murder.   
"That's not a nice way to talk to your savior." The Death Eater said, a hint of amusement behind his tone.   
"Savior?! Are you absolutely nuts? Oh I forgot you're a Death Eater, you _are _nuts."   
"We're not all bad."   
"Not all bad?!" Spat Jaimie. "You go around killing innocent people all for the sake of who knows what, and you say you lot aren't bad?! You've got some nerve."   
With renewed strength, Jaimie struggled more, but it seemed her effort was pointless, the Death Eater did not even budge in his grip against her; it seemed his strength was eternal compared to hers: he was no mere human.   
"God, you aren't easy to persuade, are you?" He asked, almost as if they were friends come to see each other for tea.   
Jaimie stared at him in disbelief. His voice sounded so familiar. The kind of familiar that you felt when you met a relative for the first time only to find that you had met them before and forgotten them. It was this that made Jaimie stop against her protests more effectively that losing her breath. She stared at him suspiciously, but by the way she was staring at him before this, she really couldn't get any more suspicious. Her eyebrows were so knitted together that you could have sworn that they were one and shaped eternally in a 'v.' Her green eyes no longer shining with warmth but with a hatred so powerful it would have stopped time and beat a mountain to the ground.   
"Who are you?" Jaimie asked, her voice shaking.   
If the Death Eater's mask was off he would definitely have been smiling; Jaimie knew. However, his blank white mask was on his face, now soaking wet though despite the amount of water it had sustained it did not make the material transparent like normal white cloths. He didn't answer her question, but for an infinitesimal second, she thought he was pulling off his mask. He did pull it off but only so it exposed his thin, pale lips. He bet down to her face, and gave her a long kiss on the lips. No doubt to him it was full of passion, but to Jaimie it was like ice.   
He straightened up and said, "Good-bye." Before disapparating on her.   
It took a moment for her to process this in her mind. She felt his weight leave her legs and felt the sensation of tiny things crawling up her leg when she was in an uncomfortable position. She pulled herself up and looked around making sure the Death Eater really was gone. She could find no hiding bodies behind the tombstones; no suspicious objects to compromise her. She was almost ready to believe that he really had saved her when a new problem arose in her mind: How was she to get back to London?   
She looked around in panic, searching for anything that might help her. She saw the old boot lying under the steady fall of rainwater from the shingled roof. Optimistic, she hurried to retrieve the object in hopes that it would send her back but to her dismay it didn't; it was just an ordinary boot again. Angered, she threw the boot far, past the tree covered fence. She didn't mean to look at the graveyard and its creepy tombstones which sent chills up her spine and made the little hairs on her body stand on end. Why was she so scared? After all, it wasn't as though she had never seen ghosts before.   
Nevertheless, she hurried through the side of the church which, for the most part, was devoid of the yellow grass. However, as soon as she reached the front yard, she saw that it was covered in the same knee length, yellow blades of grass. Carefully, Jaimie trekked through the sea of yellow trying hard not to think about the things living in its depths.   
Finally with relief she made it through the grass and was about to cross the paved road when a car zoomed angrily past her, an alarming horn breaking the silence of the tempestuous day. Shocked, Jaimie jumped out of the way of the passing car, it zoomed quickly past her and out of sight, its horning blaring loudly in her ears. From that moment, she stayed on the side of the sidewalk so as not to get in the way of cars passing by. More often than not she found herself wishing desperately to be in one of the cars that zoomed noisily by, its passengers no doubt warm and comfortable. Jaimie walked dejectedly on the side of the road, her head down, shivering violently from the cold. She was wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't see that she was vacillating slightly in her step and was wandering towards the middle of the road, nor did she see that a car was headed right at her. All she realized was the sound of the horn and the anguished yell of the driver and the screeching of the tires. Jaimie fell back once again, her left arm thrown up for support, her right flung upwards to clutch helplessly at the air. Suddenly, she heard a loud eruption that didn't seem to come from the car-in fact, the driver had driven away-and momentarily, the familiar triple decker Knight Bus appeared in the empty road before her. A conductor in a purple uniform appeared at the entrance to the bus and spoke to the empty air, "Welcome to the Knight Bus, transportation for the stranded witch or wizard-"

"I'm sorry, sir, I know all this already, can I just pay your fee and get on please?" Jaimie asked politely.

"Yes of course." The conductor said apologetically. "But first, I need to dry you off." He took out his wand from his back pocket, gave Jaimie a sharp tap with it on the top of her head and said, "_Impervius!"_

A refreshing wave of warmth washed over Jaimie as all of the water that her clothes and hair had soaked up were magically wrung out. The conductor even made it so that she repelled the rain water that pelted endlessly around them. 

Happily, Jaimie thanked the conductor, paid him eleven sickles and climbed aboard, choosing a seat that was in the middle of the bus. The conductor walked up to her and said, "Well, where would you like to go?" 

"Diagon Alley, please." Jaimie responded without hesitation.

The conductor nodded and hurried to his seat in the front next to the driver. Jaimie snuggled closer to the her easy chair, absorbing all the warmth that it would give. She closed her eyes and for the first time that afternoon brooded deeply. What had happened? Where had her parents and the other adults gone? How was Jacob doing, especially after his fight with the Death Eaters? Where were Sirius and the others, were they alright? And what was the identity of her capture, the Death Eater, who may have single-handedly brought about a second murder of her loved ones. She hated to think about it, but it was a thought that consumed her entire being. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the occasional stop the Knight Bus made, didn't even notice that she was propelled several feet whenever the bus stopped and slid back some when it accelerated. She didn't even noticed that she fell asleep, so it was a surprise to find that the Knight Bus had stopped in a familiar street, in front of a familiar grubby looking doorway and that the kindly conductor was shaking her awake.

"Wake up, miss. We've arrived in London, its your stop."

Jaimie woke slowly, her eyes getting used to the sudden change of light. The rain had stopped, though the sky was still an angry grey, the clouds tinged with pink and purple. Slowly and groggily, Jaimie stood up and stumbled to the open door. She stepped out into the familiar muggle street, muggles walking by and the occasional sound of the horn from one of the muggle cars. She stood right outside of the Leaky Cauldron, staring at its barely legible sign. But where were Sirius and the others? Where was everybody?

Standing for a moment to think on the situation, she made up her mind and decided to enter the pub and do what Jacob had told her to do, despite the urge to go searching for her friends. She walked up to the door of the pub, invisible to the muggle eye, and began to open the door when it opened of its own accord.

"Jaimie! Thank goodness you're safe!" Cried a voice from inside the Leaky Cauldron.

She couldn't tell who she was for a tall, kind looking old man dressed in magnificent wizards robes, pointy wizards hat was standing in the doorway, his twinkling blue eyes half hidden behind half-moon spectacles. 

"Professor Dumbl-" Jaimie didn't finish her sentence for with surprising strength, the professor pulled her into the pub and closed the door quickly.

He led her up the stairs of the Leaky Cauldron and into one of the rooms, letting the others file into through the door before closing it with a lazy wave of his hand.

"Tell me all that has transpired." He said simply.

"Well, am I right in thinking that they've told you about Jacob and the chase?" Jaimie asked. Dumbledore nodded and Jaimie continued. "Well, we were in that back alley, and it was a dead-end. Sirius and James were being stupid and acting the hero and they were telling us to go ahead, but I wouldn't. I backed into the alley and there was a Death Eater waiting there and he used a portkey to teleport us to some graveyard someplace. I don't know where it was. But he didn't attack me, in fact he was actually being _friendly_ with and telling me me that he saved my life."

"Anything else, Miss Dijon?" He asked.

"He left me there and then I took the Knight Bus here." Jaimie finished.

"Good. I want you six to go to Phoenix headquarters for the night. Your parents will be informed of your stay. Neither of you have been through a very grave ordeal. Get some rest and we'll all talk in the morning."

He took an ordinary clock from the bedstead and turned it into a portkey. "Now, all of you place a finger on this clock. It'll take you back to the headquarters. Someone will be ready to receive you. 3-2-1-"

With the familiar feeling of the hook beneath their navels, the portkey took the six of them to the Phoenix headquarters. 

Jaimie's feet hit the ground and gave way and she collapsed, as well as the others to the floor of the familiar white room of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. They all stood up slowly as a door opened to their right and out of it came Aunt Charlene looking rather harassed in purple wizards robes.

"Oh goodness, darlings! I just heard, quickly up to your rooms, you need rest!"

As a group the six of them trooped up the stairs, Aunt Charlene bustling around them muttering suggestions, though neither of them had strength enough to reply. James and Sirius ended up sharing a room, Remus and Peter in another and Jaimie and Lily sharing the familiar yellow room. They both silently lay under the comfortable sheets, closing their tired eyes and their aching limbs. Jaimie didn't want to speak about the events that had happened that day and she didn't have any chance either as Alice Longbottom had given her a spoonful of a powerful dreamless sleep potion and its effects were working wonders on her as she felt her eyes getting heavier and heavier and glorious sleep consuming her body.

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh my god!!! Its been so long since my last update you guys must be so mad at me! I'm so sorry it took so long! I don't think any of the excuses I have are good enough, but just trust me when I say: I was preoccupied. Its like flu heaven here in San Diego and you must forgive me! I've already started on my next chapter. Thank you all for sticking with me for so long and thank you for your reviews they mean so much to me!_


	15. A Forest

** A Forest**

_Suddenly I stop  
But I know it's too late_

_I'm lost in a forest  
All alone  
The girl was never there  
It's always the same  
I'm running towards nothing  
Again and again and again and again_

Sirius woke up much groggier than usual. He suspected it was due to the dreamless sleeping potion that Mrs. Longbottom had given him. The sun was barely up according to the magical illusion of the sky outside. The room was filled with light that only those who would wake up at the crack of dawn would ever notice and Sirius was rarely ever one of those type of people. But sleep was futile and he decided to get downstairs and see if he could muster up something to eat with his muggle cooking skills, which, by the way, were nonexistent. He walked out of the blue room he and James had taken up, careful not to wake the still sleeping form of his best friend. _Lucky bastard_, he thought bitterly. 

So in the clothes he had adorned from the day before, though were much more tatty and worn, he descended the stairs that would lead to the entrance room. The glare of the white hurt his eyes and instead of getting adjusted to it he just walked on by and entered the more welcoming kitchen. To his surprise it was filled with not only, the Lupins, who lived just shy of the forest, but the Potters and the Longbottoms as well. _Did they live here?_

Apparently his presence was a surprise as well, though if it were a good one he could not altogether tell because whatever they had talked about before Sirius had entered the room was quite officially closed. For now anyway. 

"'Morning Sirius!" Mr. Potter said, sprightly.

"Hello." Sirius said slowly. He knew that tone of Mr. Potters' voice and he had not gathered his wits about him yet-if he were being led into doing something he wouldn't like doing, then he would not like to be easily lured. 

"You're up awfully early, dear. Didn't get enough sleep?" Mrs. Potter asked in her usual doting manner.

"Seems that way." Sirius said simply. 

He placed himself into an empty seat that was somewhat away from the other adults who had seated themselves at the table, tempting plates of sausages and eggs and bacon situated in front of them, the smells seducing Sirius.

Reading his mind, Mrs. Longbottom said, "Here you go, Sirius, dear. Eat up, you need to fatten yourself up. How are you to grow up strong if you've got nothing in those bone and muscle?" She walked away cheerily, as if it wasn't four in the morning. _God, how did she do it?_

Sirius gave a last yawn of lethargy and began work eating up his food. The others at the table paid him no attention and immediately diverged into conversation of their own. They discussed matters about Voldemort and about the Ministry; things that Sirius had heard of before but never bothered to pay much attention to. 

Suddenly the door flew open and in came a very messy haired Remus, who was rubbing his eyes. 

"Could you do me a favor and change the color of that room?" He said grumpily.

"Oh, sorry Remus, dear, but that room has a purpose of its own, just like all the other rooms. The white has got to stay." Mrs. Lupin said.

Remus grumbled and groaned but sat down at the table next to Sirius anyway. Sirius didn't stop him, nor did he look at him, there was something different about today. Something was established the day before: something that may change them for good. 

Slowly, the others woke up and came into the kitchen for their breakfast, but the person that Sirius most anticipated had not come yet. Perhaps Mrs. Longbottom had given her a sleeping potion too and its effects were still not wearing off. She did have many things to sleep through and it would not have been easy if it weren't for the potion, especially the ordeal she had gone through. _And I thought I had it bad enough . . ._

The kitchen door swung open again a few minutes later and Jaimie walked in rather worn and bewildered looking but nonetheless looking as good as any of them could possibly be. 

However, when Sirius came in the adults did try and keep their conversation secret and did stop talking for a few minutes, but with Jaimie, the change in their attitudes was much more pronounced. They seemed to become uneasy and shifted uncomfortably; the squeaking of their chairs as they changed their position seemed to echo into oblivion. They seemed to avoid looking at the others' eyes.

Perhaps Jaimie was too sleepy to notice and perhaps the others didn't see a change when they had entered, but Sirius certainly knew it, and he wasn't quite sure how to react. However, the discomfort died down after the Lupins gave everyone at the table subtle, disproving looks and Mrs. Longbottom directed Jaimie to sit down. 

Like a zombie, Jaimie did as she was told and took a seat next to Lily, all the while not looking at Sirius, who was careful to note so. Leaning to his right, Sirius whispered to James, "Is it me, or is Jaimie avoiding me?" 

James looked up at Jaimie for a moment, considering the situation then turned back to Sirius and gave him a shrug. He promptly began consuming his food.

Flustered, Sirius turned to his left where Remus sat and whispered, "Do you think something is bothering Jaimie?" 

Remus gave him a questioned look and said, "Of course."

"Well, what do you reckon it is?"

"Well, don't you think you'd be distant too if you were kidnapped by a Death Eater? Especially one who seemed to be _waiting _for you? But you heard Dumbledore, we can't question her about it."

"I'm no twit. I wouldn't question her about it if my life depended on it."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, seriously.

"What?" 

"I'm serious. Think about it: anything could have happened to her. She knows a lot more than we all realize. We all do. That Death Eater could have killed her or worse kept her as sort of collateral damage-only they didn't. Why? Did they turn her as spy? You noticed how the adults all went quiet when she came in. They think that's exactly what happened to her. They'd like nothing more than to interrogate her only Dumbledore says they shouldn't. I know it. Everyone listens to him."

"Do you really believe that?" James asked suddenly.

"Believe what?" Remus asked. 

"That Jaimie is a spy or something?" James said.

"Of course not! I'd trust Jaimie with my life. She wouldn't, even in a million years or on her death bed, betray any of us. But they don't believe it, and I sort of see where they're coming from. Even my own parents have a hard time believing it. But I ask you this," He turned to Sirius with nothing but deadly triviality on his face, "Is that do you trust her enough to believe that what she said had happened really did?"

James nodded fervently.

"Of course I do!" Sirius said, with a shrug. "Besides, If I feel differently Jaimie would flay me alive and roast me on a spit." 

Remus looked at him with suspicion or doubt, he couldn't tell.

"Of course I trust her, alright? Just because we're having a serious discussion does not mean that I can't have a little fun."

With that, the discussion was closed and Remus and James returned to their meal. With a last small glance Sirius looked at Jaimie and was surprised to see that she was looking back at him. It seemed that Jaimie was surprised too and quickly looked on elsewhere. 

But there was no denying it: Jaimie definitely was avoiding him and all of a sudden, Sirius' resolve was tested.

Now in a bad mood, Sirius ate the rest of his breakfast and was about to hurry to his shared room when the door swung open yet again and in came Alastor Moody and Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom's husband. 

"Listen up, young ones. You all have been invited to a meeting with Dumbledore." He said briefly before sitting down at the table and resting his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands.

Mrs. Lupin pushed his elbows off the table and giving him a look that stated plainly "mind your manners."

"Well?" James asked.

"Well, what?" Moody asked nonplused.

"Where are we to meet him?" 

"You'll find out soon enough." 

"Why can't you tell us now?" Remus chipped in.

"Because if I did that, I'd have to kill you." Moody added, his face completely serious, normal eye fixed on Remus' face while his blue eye was transfixed on James. 

James and Remus sat aghast, both of them leaning heavily against their chairs; afraid of Moody's next action. Then to their immense relief, Moody's face broke into a smile of delight, or at least they hoped it was, it didn't make much of a difference. In fact it made his face look more twisted. 

"Oh Alastor, stop scaring the kids! They've got enough on their plates as it is."

James was about to say something but thought otherwise at a look from his father. 

When their meal was done and their rooms returned to their usual impersonal states, they were all ordered home by floo powder except for James and Sirius who remembered only too vividly the state in which they had left their home. A major part of their house was destroyed by some explosion that were yet to be explained to them, the support beams would surely have collapsed and their two story home would probably look like a deflated soufflé by now. In the study opposite the kitchen/dining room, the fireplace, which Sirius had first traveled through to get to headquarters, was rekindled with fire and sprinkled with floo powder. Peter was the first to go through, nervous to find out the state in which he would be received in his home, then Lily who gave a hug to each of them in turn including James who beamed happily, then Remus who had briefly promised to see them again, and last of all to leave was Jaimie, who, for lack of anything to say just stood in front of Sirius as they tried to say their good-byes. Awkwardly, she gave Sirius a hug, mumbled farewell, waved to James who stood idly apart from them then went through the emerald flames and disappeared. 

With a sigh, Sirius sat heavily on one of the comfy armchairs in the study, where James promptly joined his best friend.

"What's eating you, mate?" James asked conversationally.

"Nothing." Sirius replied flatly, "Do you want to play wizard's chess?"

"Sure." James agreed. Then, "Don't worry about Jaimie, she's just probably mulling things over. Not exactly healthy for a girl who's been through what she has, but what can you do. Nothing, just support her." He added wisely.

"Since when have you been the master of relationships?" Sirius asked, surprised.

"You can scoff all you like, but you know I'm right." James picked up the white chess pieces and proceeded to place them on his side of the board.

"We'll see. How come you get to be white?" 

_A/N: Hola amigos! Well, this is probably the longest update I'd had to do. What with midterms, essays and class changes I haven't had much time to update much of anything. Please note that this chapter was about Sirius, the next chapter might be the same as well maybe it'll be both about Jaimie and Sirius, because of course, they're going to get news the news of a lifetime. I'll leave the rest to you lovely people. yes its that time again for the songs I've used for those people who don't really know the music I absolutely love, well for the most part anyway:_

_11. Sleeping Beauty_

_12. Taste of Honey, _The Beatles

_13. Ordinary Day, _Vanessa Carlton

_14. Hard Day's Night, _The Beatles

_15. A Forest, _The Cure


	16. Wish You Were Here

** I Wish You Were Here**

_I dig my toes into the sand_

_The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds _

_Strewn across a blue blanket_

_I need to catch the wind_

_ Pretend that I am weightless_

_And in this moment I am happy_

_Happy_

_I wish you were here_

After causing some distinct trouble at the headquarters, James and Sirius, utterly bored, were now forced out of it, and spent it at the Leaky Cauldron as they had no home to return to at the time. They wandered the cobbled stone street of Diagon Alley, and even ventured to go into the other alleys, but noticed that they were being watched. So resolved to stay in the alley, they ambled through the familiar street causing as much destruction as they could. Finally, when the sun had begun to sink and the sky turned a cold blue, they traversed back to the pub and drank and watched all that happened around them. They pondering when Moody would come get them for the meeting with Dumbledore when a man completely covered in a trench coat and hat cam limping into the pub from the direction of Diagon Alley. No one around them noticed his entrance, but they sure did and watched the man with interest. 

"He looks familiar somehow . . . " James said thoughtfully.

Just then, the limping man raised his head ever so slightly and Sirius and James saw, to their surprise, an electric blue eye, staring at them piercingly, and then swivel into the back of the man's head. As if their seats were suddenly covered with burning orange coals, Sirius and James quickly sprung to their feet and followed the man through the door to the entrance to muggle London. They followed him through the crowds of walking muggles along the sidewalk, around corners, and past shops and straight into a dark and dank alley, where they surely would not be seen. 

Moody stood opposite them, doing nothing until he reached into his coat pocket. Sirius and James flinched, thinking he would pull something out to punish them, but instead he pulled out an old pen, he handed it to the boys, James took it gingerly, and within minutes, they felt the sensation of a portkey. Through time they traveled, their bodies knocking into each other, before they hit the floor of a bright, familiar circular room. 

They found they weren't alone, it was occupied by Lily, Remus, Peter and Jaimie and as well as Professor Dumbledore, who sat in his high seat, his long fingers folded on the handsome mahogany desk in front of him.

"So glad that you could come, Mr. Black and Mr. Potter. I trust you had no trouble getting here?" He said in his wise, old voice.

"Yes, professor." They said in unison.

"Good. Please take a seat. He took his wand from the depths of his intricately decorated robes and with a lazy wave of it, procured two comfy looking armoires. They sat down, and Dumbledore proceeded to speak.

"You may all be wondering why I have called you here, and I will guess that you are impatient to hear these news, so I will hurry. 

"These past few days you have encountered more than many adult wizards have and I have seen you act with the best judgment, courage, and skill that are far beyond your years. I have seen you fight for what you believe in, and act with great courage against odds that are heavily stacked against you. 

"You have borne with tremendous hardship and have come out of them wiser and stronger than before. You have become more than these walls have taught you and for that you have been chosen to uphold my request. What I ask of you may not be so ludicrous a favor, but a very difficult choice to make. I ask that everyone in this room present join the Order of the Phoenix. You don't have to make your decisions now," He added, "You all have your seventh year to think about the request I place upon you. If you do agree to the proposal I place before you, I'm afraid that you all will not be able to attend your graduation ceremonies, but will immediately start on your training at the headquarters. Of course, you will all be taken care of while you stay but after your training, I urge you to find your own lodgings. You will of course be paid for your services to wizard-kind and to humanity in general.

"However, I must insist that you keep our association, its members and your ties to it a secret. If you choose not to accept my offer, I will of course modify your memories to secure our existence."

The room was quiet. No one dared speak due to awe, fright or just for a lack of something to say. Unanimously however, the reaction to Dumbledore's offer was positive; they were all sure that they would accept it at the end of their seventh years. 

After assuring their confidence in the highly incriminating information they had been trusted with, and even signing a binding, magical contract, the six of them had all left Dumbledore's office via portkey to the Leaky Cauldron. Under the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Lupin and (though they didn't know it) for their own protection, Sirius and James spent the night with the Lupins, until the Potters could get their house magically fixed or they could move to a new house.

So as a group Remus, Jaimie, Sirius, James, Lily and Peter all traveled with The Potters and Lupins to the ruinous house to salvage what goods they could find among the rubble. As they expected, they found the house barred from entry, though it was a surprise that it was the muggle law enforcement that blocked it and not wizard officers. Muggle police officials were looking over every burned brick and wooden block. Among those that were investigating the sight were a few wizards that they recognized, most from the Ministry of Magic and a few, who were working for the Ministry and the Order, like the Longbottoms, were there as well. A large group of muggles mobbed around the yellow barrier tape looking at the shambles of the house and watching the officers nosily, trying to see if they could manage to create a few rumors. Sirius watched them with mounting dislike.

It was a depressing sight. They were allowed to enter after the Potters had assured the police that it was indeed their house and that they were there to look over the mess. James looked sadly upon the area where the living room had been and where he and Lily had had their first real encounter, even though it was an argument. Remus and Peter wandered around asking the muggles stupid questions to annoy them. Lily, having a breakdown went to cry in a quiet corner and James, in what seemed like genuine concern went to comfort her. 

This left Sirius and Jaimie alone for the first time since the incident. Sirius, a little occupied with the fact that the only home he dared call so was now ruined, felt a great weight come off his shoulders when Jaimie carefully slipped her hand in his and held it tightly, pressing her face into his shoulder affectionately. 

Slipping his arm around her shoulders into a hug, they stood there watching over the adults' sad progress. 

"Are you alright now?" Sirius asked.

"Of course. I just needed some time to think things over. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting lately. It's just . . . " Jaimie stopped.

"What?" 

Jaimie looked up at Sirius' face, picking her words. Sirius just looked solemnly back, a hint of perplexity in his expression, but did his best to hide it. 

"It's so confusing and so mind blowing. I came so close to being-It made me think about what my family must have gone through. I haven't thought about it in so long. I never really thought about it thoroughly. That's probably why I'm the way I am now."

"The way you are now?"

Jaimie nodded.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not who you think I am, Sirius. I'm not what I used to be. I'm . . . different."

"People change. Its life." Sirius said wisely.

Sirius looked at Jaimie's face which seemed to be casting out for words to say. Failing, she just closed her eyes and looked away. So it had come to this. They couldn't even speak anymore.

Later that day, when Sirius and James returned to the headquarters, it had then occurred to Sirius that maybe he and Jaimie had never really spoken to each other as intimately as he had always hoped or thought. They were both so good at hiding their emotions that it was impossible for either of them to notice that something wasn't right. It was these thoughts that Sirius had last contemplated that put him to sleep. 

The next day dawned and with it Sirius Black. He sat up in bed and knew immediately what he would do. He got up and instantly saw two large bags of clothing on a chair in the corner of their room. One was labeled for Sirius and the other for James. _Good thing too, I'm starting to smell myself._

So deciding to take a shower first in the headquarters' bathroom, he came downstairs to ask permission to use it, he nearly opened the door, when he heard a bit of information and it wasn't at all to his pleasure.

". . . But can we trust Dumbledore after this? I mean, seriously, he's been wrong before-"

"Yes, but rarely-"

"Still, this could be another time. What if he's wrong about the Dijon girl? What if she is a spy. Mighty convenient, don't you think, for her to get caught and returned_without_ one scratch on her pretty little body? I think she really is working for you-know-who-"

"What choice have you? You're not the leader, we just have to trust Dumbledore is all."

"I didn't say I was going to revolt!"

Sirius, getting angry, was about to march in on whoever were talking when he heard a third, unexpected voice interrupt, to his pleasure.

"If you're done criticizing the judgment of the greatest wizard of all time and an innocent girl who's gone through more trauma than anyone her age, will you bother helping? Besides, the Black boy is standing outside the door, looking mighty miffed."

Sirius froze. _Damn that eye_, he thought to himself. Left with no choice, Sirius walked inside the kitchen, with a silly grin on his face, just as the door leading to another part of the kitchen swung shut. 

"Don't mind those idiots. Just because they're fighting against Voldemort, doesn't mean they're any smarter or more sensible for it." Said Moody, as a morning greeting.

Sirius couldn't help but smile at Moody's comment, no matter how much the man irritated him.

"So what is it do you want, Black?" He inquired in his usual brusque manner.

"Oh. Yeah, I just wanted to get a towel, so I can take a shower and change out of these clothes."

"Right. Mimi will bring one up for you."

"Thanks." 

Later, when he had finished taking a rather long and hot shower, he came downstairs to find that James had awoken and had showered as well and was dressed in his new clothes already. He was talking to a man that he didn't recognize. There was also a small gathering of people at the table, much smaller than the usual amount of people that could be seen there. In fact, it was only the Potters, a three other members he hadn't yet met and to his very great surprise the man whom James was talking to was none other that Jacob! A very battered and bruised Jacob with a patch on his left eye, but Jacob none the less. At least the man was all right. 

"Well speaking of the devil-Sirius, mate, look what the cat dragged in? Jacob!" James said enthusiastically.

Jacob turned his head and gave a hearty wave of the hand. 

"Jacob! I thought you were--Well, I'm glad! Are you alright? What happened to your eye?" Sirius asked.

Jacob let out a laugh. "Oh this-" he took off his eye-patch and revealed his normal gray eye, "It helps impress the ladies, if I do say so myself." 

All Sirius' feelings for the stupid American returned. Ah well, more for the fight. Sirius took a seat on James' other side and immediately a plate of waffles in a thick amount of syrup was placed before him by Mrs. Potter. She smiled down at him then said, "Eat up, Sirius. James stop bothering Jacob."

"It's alright, Mrs. Potter, I don't care." Jacob assured.

"Alright. You two," She said, redirecting her attention to Sirius and James, "We're looking for a house today. You two don't have to come, but you'd better behave."

James' father gulped down a slice of waffle then said, "You'd better behave or you'd bet your asses you'd be restricted." 

Mrs. Potter gave her husband a reproving look. He just looked back in a smothering sort of way. Letting it go, Mrs. Potter said, "Well, in any case, he's right. You'd best behave yourselves. And I mean it, you'll not only be in trouble with us but with the entire Order too."

"Yes, mum." James said dully.

Mrs. Potter walked away angrily with Mr. Potter who got up as well, when his wife gave him a reproving look and took away his partially finished breakfast with him. 

Throughout the rest of breakfast, Sirius, James and Jacob, who they noticed was not the arrogant idiot they had first thought him to be had gotten into a conversation of Quidditch which ended in the three of them accidentally overturning the rather heavy table in a reenactment of a famou Quidditch play. Deciding that they should tone down, Sirius made to sit down again but James, instead, headed for the door and said without so much as a backward glance, "I'd better be off."

"Where are you off to without me?!" Sirius asked, indignantly.

James didn't look Sirius in the eye but rather stood with his back to Sirius and Jacob, who was also looking at James, but with a steely glint in his eye. Sirius, totally perplexed, looked from Jacob to James and back again, asking with his eyes what in the name of Merlin was going on. 

"Well? What is it? What's gotten you?"

James looked slowly at his best friend's face, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Well, Sirius, buddy, I was going to, um, to, uh-"

"Oh for god's sake-Sirius, dude, he's spending the day with Lily. On a date."

"It is not a date! As a matter of fact, Lily just needed some support, and seeing as Jaimie wasn't going to be the likely person she was gonna get it from, she confided in me." James puffed his chest out proudly. 

Sirius stared with a skeptical eye. Then he said, "You? I would have expected her to come to Remus before you. Peter even."

"And _what_ is _ that _supposed to mean?"

Jacob watched with a interested eye as Sirius said, "Well, James, mate, you're not exactly the person that, uh, _exudes_ support. Well for girls anyway." Sirius then proceeded to finish his pancakes at top speed. 

"Well its true, and I've got to leave now, or I'll be late."

"And you're going to leave me here all alone?!" Sirius called after him, but before he could finish, the door was already swinging shut.

Sirius sat flabbergasted at his best friend's behaviour. Over a girl! Jacob gave him a hearty pat on the back and said, "Tough luck, dude." Then stood up as well.

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked him.

"The Lupins invited me over-oh before I forget, Jaimie was asking about you. But you were in the shower. I think she wants you to come to." Then Jacob, a little tipsily, walked out.

Sirius sat still for a moment, completely oblivious to the others at the table, and said, "Less work for me then." Then followed Jacob out the door. 

(A/N: Hey y'all. (why do I sound country now?) long time since my last update. But its for a good cause (well for my own n e way) I suddenly have a life now. And compared to the torture that was spring break when NO ONE called me AND I had writer's block AND a really big assignment was due that involved teaching my ENTIRE English class w/ out the assistance of my bitch teacher (who will go unnamed) things are going great! I volunteered at the March of Dimes (this charity walk thing) and I was surprised to see a lot of Japanese ppl from Sanyo. They were all bowing to each other and saying "ohayo (o-hio) gossaimasu (go-zai-mas) " (I think thats how u spell it-my friend's studying Japanese) which means good morning you higher ranking person or something along those lines. n e ways thats all! toodles. 


	17. Macy's Day Parade

**Macy's Day Parade**

_When I was a kid I thought  
I wanted all the things that I haven't got  
Oh but I learned that hardest way  
Then I realized what it took  
To tell the difference between thieves and crooks  
Lesson learned of me and you  
Give me something that I need  
Satisfaction guaranteed  
Cause I'm thinking bout a brand new hope  
One never knows  
Cause now I know it's all that I wanted  
  
What the consolation prize?  
Gonna need side dreams of hope  
Give me something that I need  
Satisfaction guaranteed  
Cause I'm thinking bout a brand new hope   
One never knows  
Where it goes  
And I'm thinking bout the only road  
One never knows  
Where it goes  
And I'm thinking bout a brand new hope  
One never knows  
Cause now I know that's all I wanted_  


Jaimie woke up that day with an unusually clear head. She sat in her still unfamiliar room in the Lupin's household and stretched. The entire family had already sat down to their morning meal and were discussing about the arrival of someone that day, when she walked in, their attentions redirected to her arrival. 

She was greeted with Aunt Charlene's usual doting welcome of "Jaimie, darling, good morning! Did you sleep well?" 

"Yes Auntie," Jaimie said automatically. 

"Good, well come sit down for some breakfast. We're going to have a visitor today." She said, as if visitors come all the time. Which, Jaimie reminded herself, probably did before she came to live with them. 

"Oh. Really? Who?" She asked, a little scared as to who it would be. 

"Oh Jacob Emmeline." She said, placing two pieces of sausages on Jaimie's plate before getting some eggs. 

"Um. Pardon, but _who?"_

_ "_Goodness, don't you remember Jacob?" Uncle Alan answered, "That American bloke, saved your lives! Thought of him as something of a hero myself. I'm surprised you don't remember." 

"Oh. He's alive?! Of course I know him! I just . . . didn't know his last name. Threw me off there." 

"Oh right." Aunt Charlene said, coming back with her egg and accidentally missing her plate and dropping it on the table. 

"Mum!" Remus said, as a bit of egg flew toward him, "Watch where you're aiming!" 

"Oh sorry, Remus dear." Aunt Charlene said absentmindedly and began cleaning it up. 

"So where is Jacob staying anyway?" Jaimie asked, still curious about Jacob. 

"Well, he was staying at a the headquarters as a trainee, but his training is over now. And well, you know . . . " Aunt Charlene finished vaguely as she sat back in her seat. 

Figuring that she wasn't going to get a straight answer from her, Jaimie focused her attention to her food. Then, having been struck by a brilliant idea, suddenly burst out, "So he's staying at the headquarters still, right?" 

All three looked at her with thoughtful expressions, but it was Remus who said, "Yes, oh strange one. Why?" 

"Well that would mean he's still staying over with James and Sirius." 

"And what in blazes has that got to do with anything?" Uncle Alan said, utterly perplexed. 

"Well . . . " Jaimie started. 

"Oh, Alan isn't it obvious? She wants James and Sirius to come, too. Isn't that right dear?" 

Jaimie nodded. 

Aunt Charlene smiled and said, "Of course dear. Go ahead, call them." she nodded her head toward the fire place where Jaimie darted to without losing a beat. 

She took a fistful of the glittering floo powder, cast it into the fire, which turned the familiar green, stuck her head in and called, "Um . . . um . . . " She thought hard of the paper she was told to memorize by Mimi and chanted, "Lorrance Shack!" Instantly, she saw different chimney grates zooming and moving around her, until she found a red-bricked one and rocketed right into it, where she saw the feet of James and, startlingly, Jacob sitting placidly in the study. 

Apparently they didn't notice her until she said, "James!" Which caused him to turn his head down at the fire, stare at her floating head for a few minutes and said, "Other James!" 

"Hi to you too. Have you seen Sirius?" 

"Oh he's taking a shower right now I think. A rather long one," then all three of them heard a rather muffled voice saying, "Breakfast!" 

"Right, let's go Jacob, my lad, I'm quite ravenous." They got up to leave but Jaimie gave an indignant cry. 

"Oh right, Jaimie! Sorry forgot. Hey it's easy to forget a floating head you know!" James cried defensively, from the skeptical look on Jaimie's face. "Well it is. Especially if its you." He gave a derisive laugh. 

"Well, now, now, James don't make fun of the pretty girl. Who could forget such a gorgeous face?" Jacob said, with a roguish smile. 

Jaimie and James stared at him for a few minutes which caused him to say, "Right. Works better in America. I'll just be over here then?" He pointed to the far corner and walked over to it. 

"Well I really can't wait long so can you just tell Sirius that he's invited to come over today?" 

James gave her an offended look. 

"And you, too James." Jaimie replied dully. 

"Oh but I can't come." 

"Why not?" Jaimie asked, surprised. 

"I'm spending the day with someone." 

"Well tell Sirius he can come." 

"Will do, captain!" James said with a hearty salute. 

"Thanks, James." Jaimie said giggling, then she turned to Jacob and said, "Nice seeing you again Jacob. I'm really glad you're alright. I suppose we'll talk again later." Jacob smiled and nodded. 

Jaimie returned the smile and retracted her head from the grate. 

She didn't return to the kitchen but headed straight for the bathroom to get ready. 

The trip to the Lupin house was rather uneventful and for Sirius, it couldn't end soon enough. However glad he was that Jacob had managed to come back to them safe and unscathed, he still felt a twinge of frustration whenever her opened his mouth, which he didn't refrain from doing throughout the entire journey through the forest. At long and (in Sirius' case) beautiful last, the hedge which separated the forest from the house emerged through the thinning copse of trees. They only had one problem however, and it wasn't solved the easy way. 

"_There's_ the house!" Sirius said breathily, having gotten a lecture on how Jacob had defeated some lake monster in America, "Finally!" 

"Aw man, we've arrived already?! And this walk was starting to get good!" 

Sirius gave him a look of pure disgust and appall. He turned his head away, cleared his throat and said, "So . . . how are we going to get to the house?" 

Jacob shrugged and said, "I'd be damned if I knew. I've never been here before." 

"Whaddya mean you've never been here before?" Sirius asked incredulously. 

"Well, even though I _am_ an Order member, I still haven't been to all the key members' homes yet, including the Lupins'." Jacob explained with a shrug. 

Sirius slumped over. He'd been to the Lupin house before many times, but apparently it wasn't enough to know the entire layout of the lot. There was a hidden gateway through the hedge that was marked by a tin watering can at the base of the opening. However, they didn't know this. 

"Do you know a way?" Sirius asked, after a minute of pondering the possibilities. 

"Well we could feel around the hedge for a way in . . . " Jacob started slowly. 

"That would take too long. There probably isn't a way in anyway, there's a wall in between this hedge and a hedge in their backyard." Sirius said, then, "Just-I don't know-give me a boost and I'll climb over." 

"Dude, that could be dangerous." Jacob said. 

"Do you have any other ideas?" Sirius snapped. 

"Alright . . . " Jacob said, with a sigh. 

Jacob crouched down and placed his hands one on top of the other so that it would cradle Sirius' foot. "Ready." He said with a sudden tone of machismo in his voice. 

"Shut up." Sirius said placing his foot on the nook of Jacob's hands and lifted himself up, using Jacob's head to steady himself. 

It took him a while to keep his balance in Jacob's hands. After a few seconds of teetering on the verge of collapse, Sirius managed a steady position and looked at the hedge wall in front of him. Suddenly the hedge seemed very far away and he seemed very high up. 

"Any day now, Sirius, man." Jacob grunted, below. 

"Can't you wait?!" Sirius snapped. He took a deep breath, relaxed, then tensed his muscles as he sprung away from Jacob's hands, causing Jacob to fall to the ground, and caught the edge of the wall. 

"Hey you ok?" Jacob asked, from the ground. 

"Yeah I'm great," Sirius replied, sarcasm dripping in his tone, as he barely clung to the wall, "I always hang from ten foot walls covered in spiky hedges." 

"Can you climb up?" Jacob asked, ignoring this comment. 

"I'll try." Sirius placed his foot into the hedge and used it to climb up. His clothes snagged and tore, but Sirius still climbed up until he was sitting on the wall. 

"Great! Now jump down!" Jacob called enthusiastically. 

"Easy for you to say." Sirius mumbled under his breath. 

He looked down at the ground which seemed to be spinning before him. "Here goes," He mumbled before he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, opened them, and slid off the wall. 

Jaimie was sitting in the living room, trying not to watch the grate expectantly for any sign of activity. Remus sat with her, watching her amused. 

"Jaimie, he'll be here, don't worry. Now can we please do something else?!" Remus pleaded, bored. 

"No! I have to wait here." 

"Can I please go then?" Remus begged. 

"No, you have to stay. You have to divert Jacob." 

"Why can't you and Sirius just go somewhere to talk?" Remus said monotonously. 

"Aunt Charlene won't let me." Jaimie replied. 

Remus gave a huge sigh. Jaimie ignored him. She was trying very hard to be happy for Sirius' sake. After all, he had been there for her many times and because she felt guilty for lying to him. She was just thinking about what they were going to do once they arrived when they heard a loud thud from the backyard followed by a loud yell. 

Jaimie and Remus looked at each other for one moment before racing off to the backyard. They were intercepted by Uncle Alan and Aunt Charlene who stared at them for a moment, before dashing off ahead of them. They slammed the door open and stood in awe as they saw Sirius at the base of the hedge, seemingly unconscious. Sirius opened his eyes when he saw he had an audience and smiled at them, giving a little wave as well. 

"Sirius?!" Jaimie cried, running to his side. "What the hell are you doing?" 

"Trying to get to your house." Sirius said, smiling weakly. "I'm alright," He said suddenly, as he saw Mrs. Lupin coming over with her wand at the ready. He sat up slowly, wincing and said, "We tried to get over the hedge by climbing over." 

"Why didn't you just send us a note or something, or go through floo powder?" Remus suggested, as he collapsed beside Jaimie. 

"Not allowed to." Sirius answered simply. 

"Yeah, sorry Mrs. Lupin, my fault!" Jacob called from the other side. 

"Jacob? What in blazes . . . I thought you could apparate!" Mr. Lupin cried incredulously. 

There was a tense silence in which Jacob seemed to be thinking about this possibility. Then he said, "Oh. Right." 

Sirius made a fist with his hands, closed his eyes tightly, and yelled in a loud voice that seemed to scare several spiders from its ceiling homes a couple of blocks away, "JACOB!" 

The Lupin's backyard was never before filled with so many curse words and angry yells before. 

Later in the day, when they had managed to keep Sirius from mauling Jacob more than the Death Eaters had, they were all inside, Sirius lying down, though a bit stiffly. Mrs. Lupin had fixed him right up with AcheAway potion, which left a cooling sensation on the aching body part, in Sirius' case, his back, as it was relieved of pain. Jacob was sitting as far away as possible from Sirius because he was put there, and he didn't like to face Sirius' wrath when he was angry. Jaimie was tending to Sirius who didn't seem to mind the attention he was getting from the girl. 

"Are you feeling better?" Jaimie asked gently. 

"Yeah, loads better." Sirius darted a poisonous look at Jacob, who replied defensively, "I'm sorry, Sirius, I forgot! Its those damn Death Eaters-" 

"Let's not talk about Death Eaters today." Aunt Charlene said, smiling and carrying a tray of cookies and tea and setting it down on the the table. She then handed a cup to Jacob, Remus and Sirius and Jaimie. She set the plate of cookies on the table and took a small plate of cookies and a cup of tea to the office where Uncle Alan had barricaded himself. 

There was an awkward silence that followed. And Remus, not used to such silences said, "Nice conversation we're having, huh." 

No one answered. 

"Right," Remus said to himself. 

More silence. 

"Oh for the love of pantyhose, can someone please speak?!" Remus cried. 

The others looked at him strangely. There was a moment of perplexed silence, which was then broken by Jacob's suppressed snickers which then gave way to laughing and then the entire room broke into laughter. 

"Pantyhose?" Sirius asked, between fits of laughter. 

"Remus you're such a weirdo." Jaimie said. 

In the office, Aunt Charlene was listening to their conversation which was often broken with laughter, and she smiled contentedly and said, "Don't you miss this, Alan?" 

Uncle Alan, who was writing upon a piece of parchment looked up and said, "Miss what, dear?" 

"Being a kid? Being with your friends and just having fun?" 

"What on earth are you going on about Charlene?" Uncle Alan said. 

Aunt Charlene turned to him and said, "Oh Alan, stop that for a minute and dance with me." 

Uncle Alan just gave his wife a funny look. 

"I'm serious!" She turned a dial on the Wizarding Wireless Network to a station that was playing a soft tinkling song, and started dancing along as if she were with an invisible partner. 

Uncle Alan watched her go around a few turns before Aunt Charlene came to him, took his hands and pulled him up to dance with her. 

Even from a distance you could hear the house ringing with the sound of laughter, music and adolescence. Sounds that echoed the people inside. 

A/N: Man its summer!!! It feels so great!!! Hope you like this chapter! Thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed I love you all!!!!! mwahs mwahs mwahs!


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